Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has insisted that he cannot speak about a potential contract extension but reaffirmed his love of the club.
Arne Slot's side are set to play Manchester City on Sunday, but they already received a huge boost in the Premier League title race on Saturday when West Ham United managed to beat Arsenal 1-0 at the Emirates thanks to Jarrod Bowen's first-half winner.
The Merseysiders are now eight points ahead of the Gunners in the league having played the same number of games, and with seven of their remaining 12 matches coming at Anfield, they must be considered clear favourites to win the title.
However, stars Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk are set to leave the club at the end of the season given they have not yet signed contract extensions, and the latter refused to speculate on his future when speaking to Sky Sports, saying: "We are still in three competitions and we want to be successful in all three of them. And that is the main focus I've got. Very, very big plans in that sense.
"I can't speak about personal conversations that have obviously been going on for a while. I can only say that I am fully committed to the club.
"I love the fans, I love the club. I've had such an amazing time already. Let's see what the future brings. But as long as I'm calm, I think the rest of the world can stay calm as well. When there is a definite answer on my future, it will probably be out. Then everyone can know. I'm quite calm about it."
The centre-back has played every single minute of his side's 26 Premier League games this season, and he has arguably been the best defender in the division in 2024-25.
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A busy summer ahead
Liverpool face the prospect of having to replace three of their best players should Alexander-Arnold, Salah and Van Dijk not sign extensions, but they also may have to replace several other stars.
Striker Darwin Nunez has failed to impress during his time at Anfield and has been frequently linked with a move away, while winger Luis Diaz is rumoured to be one of Barcelona's top targets.
Elsewhere, centre-backs Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate have often been beset by injury issues, and it would not be surprising if the club looked to strengthen at the back regardless of Van Dijk's potential departure.
Ryan Gravenberch has been used at the base of midfield this term but has struggled more in recent weeks, and considering Slot has so far only shown trust in Curtis Jones, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Gravenberch, it would be sensible to reinforce in the middle of the pitch.
Other players like Harvey Elliott and Wataru Endo have not been given much playing time in 2024-25, and it is difficult to see the pair staying at Liverpool unless Slot can assure them that they are part of his long-term plans.
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Could Slot's second year be more challenging?
Slot's first season as Liverpool boss could hardly have been better, with his side clear favourites in the Premier League, strong contenders in the Champions League and already in the EFL Cup final.
The Dutch manager has suggested that one of the reasons the transition from previous head coach Jurgen Klopp has gone so smoothly is that his style of play is not too dissimilar to the German's.
However, Slot undoubtedly benefitted from the fact he inherited numerous talents such as Salah and Alisson Becker, and with so much potentially set to change in the summer, he could find that his second season is more of a challenge than his first.
It will also be interesting to see if the manager makes any further alterations to the team's playing style once he signs first-team starters, something that he has so far refrained from doing.
Lewis Nolan
