Liverpool Face Major Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker Contract Decisions

Liverpool’s next sporting director will arrive with plenty in the in tray. Transfers, recruitment strategy and the continuing reshaping of the squad will demand attention, but there is another issue moving steadily towards the top of the agenda.

Contracts.

Five senior Liverpool players are currently due to become free agents in the summer of 2027, including captain Virgil van Dijk and goalkeeper Alisson Becker. Joe Gomez, Kostas Tsimikas and Wataru Endo are also approaching the end of their existing deals.

For a club already undergoing significant change, these are decisions carrying consequences beyond simply balancing the wage bill.

Van Dijk decision cannot be avoided

Virgil van Dijk remains the most significant case.

The Liverpool captain will turn 36 before the 2027/28 campaign begins, an age that inevitably becomes part of any contract discussion. Yet defenders of Van Dijk’s quality cannot be judged by a birth certificate alone.

His performances still matter most.

After Liverpool’s 1-0 victory at Bournemouth, Van Dijk was asked whether discussions over his future had started.

“Already? No, I am just focusing on the present. There is nothing to report on that,” Van Dijk told reporters.

That may be straightforward enough in September, but Liverpool cannot allow the situation to drift indefinitely.

Van Dijk remains captain, a commanding presence in the defence and one of the personalities around whom Liverpool’s dressing room has been constructed. If his performances continue at the required level under Andoni Iraola, Liverpool will have to decide how much value they place on retaining that experience.

Alisson Becker presents similar Liverpool dilemma

Alisson Becker’s situation follows much the same logic.

The Brazilian turns 34 shortly, yet there has been little evidence that Liverpool need to urgently replace him. Goalkeepers can operate at an elite level deep into their thirties, particularly when their positioning, decision making and distribution remain strong.

Alisson has also become increasingly important within Liverpool’s leadership structure. He is one of three vice-captains alongside Gomez and Dominik Szoboszlai.

That matters because Liverpool have already experienced a considerable loss of established figures.

Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate all departed as free agents this year. Allowing Van Dijk and Alisson Becker to follow them in 2027 would represent another significant shift in the personality and experience of the squad.

Liverpool therefore have to assess more than performances. They must consider succession planning, leadership and how quickly Iraola’s squad should evolve.

Gomez future requires different calculation

Gomez is only 29, which should theoretically make his decision simpler. His availability complicates matters.

Persistent fitness problems have restricted him to only 28 Liverpool starts since the summer of 2024. For a player entering contract negotiations, reliability becomes part of the equation.

His versatility and standing within the dressing room still carry value, but Liverpool will need to decide whether that value warrants another long-term commitment.

Tsimikas and Endo appear to have more difficult routes towards extensions. Both will need opportunities and performances if they are to change the conversation surrounding their futures.

Liverpool have time, but not an unlimited amount of it.

Van Dijk and Alisson Becker are the headline decisions because replacing players of their calibre is expensive, difficult and inherently uncertain. Age has to be considered, as does salary. So does the simple question of whether Liverpool are stronger with them than without them.

For now, the evidence on the pitch gives Liverpool plenty to think about.