Barnes urges Liverpool to extend Van Dijk's contract as Elliott handed fresh start under Iraola

Liverpool legend John Barnes has urged the club to hand Virgil van Dijk a contract extension, warning that new head coach Andoni Iraola will need experienced figures around him following a summer of significant departures from Anfield.

Van Dijk signed a two-year deal in 2025, but Barnes believes that is not enough given the exits of Mohamed Salah, Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson. “I’d like to see Virgil’s contract being extended because for Andoni Iraola, he’ll need his senior players,” Barnes told Betfred. “Those that have been around the block and know the club… so I think it’s important that we keep a hold of Virgil next season.”

The plea arrives after Van Dijk was linked with a departure this summer. The Dutch centre-back, who has been at Anfield since January 2018, was reportedly a target for clubs in Turkey before senior Liverpool sources moved to dismiss those rumours.

Iraola, who took charge at 44, began getting to know his squad on Tuesday at the club’s AXA Training Centre in Kirkby, with full pre-season training set to begin next week. Liverpool’s transfer activity has so far been limited to the signing of Victor Munoz from Osasuna, while January arrival Jeremy Jacquet has officially joined the squad. The ongoing World Cup has slowed the market, with most in-demand players remaining focused on the tournament.

Among those who could benefit from the new regime is Harvey Elliott. The 22-year-old was a regular under Jurgen Klopp but saw his opportunities diminish sharply after Arne Slot’s arrival in the summer of 2024, eventually going out on loan to Aston Villa, where he struggled for consistent minutes.

Iraola has signalled that returning players will be judged on merit from the outset. “We’ve analysed Liverpool a lot — possible weaknesses, the strengths,” the Spaniard said in his first interview as head coach. “I think we have a very good squad. I think there is still work to do, like normally in every club in this moment of the season. But right now, for me the thing is to value especially the players that we have right now in the squad. For me, and I will tell them, [they] are all new signings.”

That framing offers Elliott, now 23, a genuine opportunity to force his way into Iraola’s plans before the competitive season begins.