'Very important' Mohamed Salah a victim of his own success - Liverpool captain Virgin van Dijk 'always wants Mo to stay' amid transfer links
Published 15/02/2026 at 14:56 GMT
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Virgil Van Dijk hopes Mohamed Salah stays with Liverpool beyond the end of the season amid reports linking the forward with a move away. Salah has established himself as a club legend, but he has struggled to hit the high standards he has set himself this season. Liverpool are currently sixth in the Premier League table, but they are still in the UEFA Champions League.
Highlights: Liverpool dispatch Brighton to march into fifth round
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Virgil van Dijk wants Mohamed Salah to stay at Liverpool amid growing speculation that the superstar winger could leave The Reds at the end of the season.
The Egyptian forward has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League ever since the division first became a legitimate destination for the beautiful game's biggest names.
Salah has become one of Liverpool's greatest-ever players since arriving at Anfield in 2017, inspiring his side to the Premier League title last term with 29 goals and 18 assists in 38 top-flight appearances.
He has struggled to replicate that form this term, scoring just four goals and setting up another six in 18 league fixtures.
The 33-year-old appeared to be back to his best as he scored one and set up another during Liverpool’s emphatic 3-0 win against Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup on Saturday - and Van Dijk believes he still has a big role to play at Anfield.
"[Mo is] the same as me - he's got one more year [left on his contract] so we will see," the defender said.
"I always want Mo to stay because I'm a good friend of his, and we've been through the highs and not-so-highs - I don't want to call them lows - together for so many years.
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"Mo is a very important Liverpool player who has set the bar extremely high. I can only say for us nothing has changed.
"There are so many things people don't see what is important to try to become a successful team. Let's see for the rest of the season how important he still is and can be."
Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai scored the other goals as Liverpool booked their place in the fifth round.
The Reds will return to action on February 22 when they travel to the City Ground to take on relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest.
Arne Slot’s side are sixth in the Premier League table, two points behind Chelsea in fifth and 15 points off league leaders Arsenal.
However, they still have plenty to play for this term after booking their place in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League with a third-place finish in the league phase.
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Salah’s experience could prove to be key when his team go head-to-head with Europe’s elite in the latter stages of the 2025/26 campaign.
Van Dijk added that Salah is a victim of his own success. The defender believes that the forward has set such high standards that he is always likely to be criticised if he can’t meet them.
"Mo is still a leader and important for me, as a captain, to have around and to have him on the pitch and his presence benefits the team," he said.
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"He always gives the team more than goals. There's obviously a lot of focus on his goals at the moment because he puts the standards so extremely high, so when he doesn't score as much, he gets criticised."
Liverpool will find out who they will face next in the FA Cup when the fifth-round draw takes place on February 16.
Stream the Premier League, Men’s and Women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more on TNT Sports and discovery+
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