Who is Jurgen Klopp's highest-paid player? At the moment, that honor belongs to Mohamed Salah, but soon enough, the Egyptian striker will relinquish his spot to Virgil van Dijk. The Dutchman is set to sign an extension with Liverpool that entitles him to a weekly pay of £220,000, giving him a boost of £40,000.
Klopp and the Netherland international are set to seal the deal right after the Reds wrap up the season and win the Premier League title. With a 25-point lead over No. 2 Manchester City, the Merseyside club is ready to claim the 2020 silverware provided the next two games will be won.
For Van Dijk, getting his first Premier League championship will immediately translate to five more years at the Anfield. The Sun reported the contract will be ready for signing afterward and the Dutch will stand to earn a total of £57 million.
However, his decision to stay under Klopp's guidance was made more notable by his rejection of an offer from Paris Saint-Germain. The Parisians have been wooing the prized defender and made sure he would struggle to refuse their proposal - a weekly salary of £280,000.
It seemed though that the decision was easy for the PFA Players' Player of the Year. The report said Van Dijk is happy enough that he will overtake Salah as Liverpool's best-paid. And the defender is even happier that he will be the highest earner in the history of the English club.
Mirror said the imminent pay upgrade is essentially an acknowledgment that Van Dijk is perhaps the best in his class right now, which Liverpool had affirmed in January 2018 when he was signed from Southampton for £75 million.
That deal made the Dutch the most expensive defenders signing ever, but Van Dijk made sure he's worth the value. He proved that by flashing his brilliance in the 2018 Champions League finals showdown, although Real Madrid won that contest.
The Liverpool star, however, avenged the disappointment by doing his share in the club's triumphant run in the 2019 edition of the same competition. For his overall performance that season, Van Dijk was shortlisted in the Ballon d'Or award last December that Lionel Messi won.
Then Van Dijk is set to help big time again as Liverpool will lay claim on a title that has eluded the club in the last 30 years.
Klopp said with the business about his top defender just about settled, his next priority is to convince Sadio Mane to stay beyond 2023. The German is hoping that the Senegalese striker will say yes to a pay package that is similar to that of Van Dijk's.
But Mane is said to be stalling due to tempting offers coming from Real Madrid and PSG.
