Liverpool pair Alisson & van Dijk 'poised' to sign new deals – Independent

Posted Tuesday, February 04, 2020 by 101 GREAT GOALS

As per a report from the Independent, Liverpool are preparing new contracts for star duo Alisson and Virgil van Dijk.

Dominant Reds

Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool have established themselves as, in the eyes of most, the finest club in Europe over the last couple of seasons.

After missing out on Premier League glory in heartbreaking fashion last time out, the Merseyside giants have since bounced back in the most sensational manner possible to this point in the current campaign.

Their 4-0 drubbing of Southampton over the weekend saw Liverpool move a record-breaking 22 points clear of champions Manchester City atop the English top-flight.

The dominance of Klopp's men, though, has of course not been restricted to the domestic front.

The Reds are set to face off with Atletico Madrid in the Last-16 of the Champions League over the coming weeks, as they bid to retain their European crown.

And, based on current form, few would likely bet against Liverpool beating off all competition once again this time around to etch their name further into the history books of the Champions League.

Alisson & van Dijk to be rewarded

Making Liverpool's ascent from nearly-men to dominant force both at home and in Europe even more special, meanwhile, has been the steady development of Jurgen Klopp's squad.

As the seasons have passed since his appointment at Anfield back in 2015, the German tactician has added to his panel of players piece by piece.

The early years of Klopp's reign saw the likes of Sadio Mane and Gini Wijnaldum make the move to Merseyside.

This was followed by the crucial additions of both Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah in 2017.

However, it was a pair of big-money signings over the course of the last 2 years which have since elevated Liverpool from nearly-men to fully-fledged winners.

These come in the form of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson.

Dutch stopper van Dijk, who joined the Reds from Southampton in January of 2018, has gone on to establish himself, in the eyes of many, as the finest defender on the planet during his time at Anfield.

His leadership and organisational qualities have proven absolutely integral in morphing Liverpool's backline from a once-disjointed mess to the stout unit which has allowed just 3 goals in the club's last 11 outings across all competitions.

Shot-stopper Alisson, meanwhile, has turned what was once unquestionably the weakest position in Jurgen Klopp's squad into an area in which he can now have confidence week-in, week-out.

The heart-in-the-mouth antics of Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius are now a thing of the distant past, with the Brazilian's addition from AS Roma having proven yet another inspired piece of business on Liverpool's part.

As such, the news that those in charge of the European champions are ready to move to tie both van Dijk and Alisson down has come as little surprise.

As per a report from the reliable Melissa Reddy of the Independent, 'the club's priority is to lock down the world's best centre-back and goalkeeper for the long-term'.

This is likely to see both players offered improved terms, with their current deals set to expire in the summers of 2023 and 2024 respectively.

Crucially, it is also added that van Dijk and Alisson both 'want extended contracts'.