Virgil van Dijk has admitted he does not know if he will be part of Liverpool's post-Jurgen Klopp era, casting doubt on his long-term future at Anfield. The Dutch defender, who has 18 months remaining on his current contract, made the revelation after Klopp's bombshell announcement that he will leave the club at the end of the season.
Speaking after Liverpool's 5-2 FA Cup win over Norwich City, Van Dijk said: 'Listen, I don't know. The club will have a big job on their hands, that is well known. To replace the manager and not only the manager, the staff is leaving, and there are so many things that will change.'
The 32-year-old captain is one of several key players whose contracts are running down. Joel Matip, Thiago Alcantara and Adrian are all out of contract this summer, while deals for Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold expire at the end of next season. Van Dijk, who turns 33 in July, will enter the final year of his contract in the summer.
Klopp's assistants Pep Lijnders and Peter Krawietz, along with development coach Vitor Matos, are also leaving. Sporting director Jorg Schmadtke will depart when the January transfer window closes, leaving the club with a major restructuring task before any contract decisions are made.
Van Dijk insisted his focus remains on the current campaign, with Liverpool still competing for four trophies. 'It will be the end of Jurgen Klopp's era. I am very glad that I am still part of it,' he said. 'By then there will probably be more clarification about what the club wants for the future and then we will see.'
