Virgil van Dijk asks Mohamed Salah to stay at Liverpool amid January transfer speculation

JAKARTA - Virgil van Dijk has told Mohamed Salah he wants the Egyptian to stay at Liverpool amid speculation he could leave the club in January 2026.

Salah came on as a substitute in Liverpool's 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, December 13, 2025, and provided an assist for Hugo Ekitike in the second half.

It was the 33-year-old's first appearance since his explosive interview at Elland Road last weekend, when he accused the club of trapping him.

Salah also hinted that the match against Brighton could be his last for Liverpool after his relationship with Manager Arne Slot deteriorated.

Talks about the attacker's long-term future are expected to continue when he departs for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations this week.

"Of course I spoke to him. I talked about everything with him. Of course I've told him that I want him to stay. The rest I won't tell you."

"I wish him the best and hope he comes back. I have no control over that. He is one of the leaders. I would love to have him stay with me because he is one of the leaders."

"However, it is clear that he will go to AFCON (2025 African Cup). I wish him the best. We will stay in touch in the next few days and weeks, as usual. Then we'll just see later," said Van Dijk.

The Dutch defender further also appreciated Arne Slot who handled the matter well.

"I think he has handled this situation very well. Calm in his own way. It's a very complicated situation."

"There is a lot of noise and pressure from the outside world, of course. It should be that way because we haven't reached or come close to last season's standards. However, we are human beings and everyone reacts in a different way."

"Personally, based on the observations and conversations we have every day, I think he has handled it very well."

"He's in a solid and compact club, that's how it was before we joined this club. That's something we have to continue to maintain."

"We went through wonderful times together as a team and a fan base. When difficult moments arise, we must also remain united."

"This moment is a very good time to see how everyone reacts. The manager has done it perfectly so far," said the Reds captain.

Liverpool's victory over Brighton means they are now unbeaten in five games in all competitions. In addition, The Reds have now bagged two consecutive victories, the first time since the beginning of November 2025.

Van Dijk is also optimistic that Liverpool's pace going forward will be more positive because they have passed the last few weeks.

"It was something that happened behind the scenes that we had to deal with, but the performance speaks for itself, that we are united and that's the most important thing."

"The atmosphere in the locker room is always very good, of course it can affect performance if we win or lose. The main thing I see is that we have the will to turn this around and the hunger and energy to do it."

"Of course, the most important thing is what happens on the pitch for 95 minutes. We know this season is very long and we want to be consistent. We have to keep moving forward and stay calm," said Van Dijk.