Liverpool are prepared to offer Virgil van Dijk a long-term contract worth around £200k-per-week in order to keep him at Anfield for the rest of his career, according to Football Insider

What is the latest Liverpool news? 

The report claims the club's FSG ownership - who have come under intense scrutiny of late following the European Super League fiasco - are ready to sanction a huge contract offer which could keep the Dutch defender on Merseyside until 2028. 

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Indeed, the entire agreement is believed to be worth around £50m, representing a significant increase for the 29-year-old and would take his stay to ten years. 

What is van Dijk's current salary? 

Football Insider suggest the £75m signing is currently being paid around £125k-per-week though added incentives could take that even further and his deal currently runs until June 30th 2023

SpotRac's salary data suggest van Dijk brings home somewhere in the region of £180k-per-week with all bonuses added in and, as it stands, isn't on the highest tier of wages at the club. Both Thiago and Mohamed Salah are believed to be earning around £200k-per-week, so this kind of agreement would put van Dijk amongst Liverpool's highest earners. 

What is the latest on van Dijk's injury? 

Having been ruled out of action following October's controversial Merseyside derby away at Goodison Park, he has missed 45 games since, the longest absence of his career. 

Van Dijk was pictured running back on grass at Liverpool's new training base but manager Jurgen Klopp warned the Dutch national team not to risk his star man's career by rushing him back ahead of this summer's delayed European Championships. 

How many goals have Liverpool conceded without van Dijk? 

Clearly, this season's struggles have been as a result of a collective failure from a number of Liverpool players but the long-term injury ligament injury van Dijk picked up back in October will not have helped matters. 

In the 27 games Premier League games he's missed since picking up his injury against Everton in October, Klopp's side have kept only 9 clean sheets and have conceded three goals or more on four different occasions across all competitions. 

A hugely dominant figure for the club from the moment he joined, only Nathaniel Phillips has proven as effective in the air as his crocked teammate, winning 5.5 aerial duels per game this season (via WhoScored) to van Dijk's 5 last term. 

What has Jamie Carragher said about van Dijk? 

Speaking on Sky Sports on the Monday after van Dijk's injury, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believed Manchester City - now champions-elect of course - were favourites to win the Premier League title. 

“I think if Van Dijk stays fit Liverpool win the league," he said (via talkSPORT). 

"This massively opens it up.

“I can’t see anyone else winning the title except Liverpool and Manchester City. On the back of Van Dijk, I’d now say Manchester City are favourites.”