Virgil van Dijk silenced the debate about the world's best defender long ago. 

The Liverpool centre-back is far and away the most composed player in his position in any league right now and he's soon to be rewarded with his first Premier League title.

It's also expected that the Dutchman will be well compensated for his efforts with a new contract. 

While some mischievous reports have started linking him with Juventus, all the indications are that Van Dijk will be at Anfield for many years to come.

And just to ensure he won't be tempted elsewhere, The Mirror report that his extension is set to make him the highest-paid defender in the world.

Front three Sadio Mane, Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino have all been given a pay rise in the last year, as has manager Jurgen Klopp, who penned a new deal in December.  

Liverpool are in a great position financially after revealing their accounts for the year ending in May 2019. 

Despite making record level of revenues from TV, commercial and ticket sales, their profit before tax more than halved because the club have made an active decision to reinvest in their top players' salaries. 

Chief Operating Officer Andy Hughes explained: 

“The underlying financial sustainability of the Club is enabling us to make significant investments both in player recruitment and infrastructure. 

“Being able to reinvest over £220m on players during this financial period is a result of a successful business strategy, particularly the significant uplift in commercial revenues."

It's only right that Van Dijk takes a cut of that. 

His existing contract sees him take home a basic wage of around £125,000-a-week, with that rising to £200,000 thanks to add-ons.

So how would the 28-year-old compare to the world's best-paid defenders currently under the terms of his new contract?  

Juventus' Matthijs De Ligt, despite having a mixed season, picks up about £210,000-a-week, while PSG's Thiago Silva earns a ballpark figure of £262,000. 

Barcelona's Gerard Pique takes home in the region of £220,000-a-week - about £20,000 a week more than Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos. 

The truth is, nobody has been able to emulate Van Dijk on the pitch this season - so it's only fair that he steers ahead of his rivals on his way to the bank too.