Virgil van Dijk was on the score-sheet for Liverpool last night as it once again secured passage to the Carabao Cup final. And the captain has called on one of his teammates to be in the best possible shape for the run-in.

Arne Slot has said he hopes to continue working with captain Virgil van Dijk "for a long time" amid continued uncertainty over his long-term Liverpool future.

The Dutchman has consistently said during the campaign that talks on a new contract have not reached a breakthrough, though recent whispers on social media claimed that both he and Mohamed Salah had agreed on extensions.

Liverpool outclassed a blunt Tottenham team 4-0 on Sunday to book their spot in the Carabao Cup final, but Virgil Van Dijk said he was disappointed with parts of his side's performance.

Former Liverpool midfielder John Barnes says Virgil van Dijk's contract should be the first priority for the club. The Dutchman, like team-mates Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, is out of contract in the summer and is already free to talk to clubs overseas.

John Barnes has claimed that Liverpool would struggle to ‘cope’ if they were to lose one member of Arne Slot’s current squad in the next few months. The