Virgil van Dijk loses £9.7m of Liverpool wage after Reds make contract decision | Football | Sport

Virgil van Dijk has seen a significant chunk of his wages go to the taxman since signing his new Liverpool contract. The club captain ended months of speculation last April by agreeing to a new two-year deal with the Reds. The extension mirrors his previous terms, meaning he continues to earn around £350,000 per week, totalling around £40million.

However, Van Dijk doesn’t get to keep all of his salary, having paid over £9.7m in tax during the past 12 months, according to the Sunday Times Tax List. This places him among the UK’s highest taxpayers overall, not just within football. The footballers’ rankings are topped by Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, who has paid a staggering £17m in tax over the past year.

Second is Van Dijk’s team-mate Mohamed Salah on £14.5m. Manchester United midfielder Casemiro (£10.9m) sits third on the UK footballers’ table ahead of his Old Trafford departure this summer.

Raheem Sterling, who recently terminated his Chelsea contract by mutual consent, contributed £9.8m in tax, £100,000 more than Van Dijk.

Portuguese duo Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, of Manchester United and Manchester City respectively, are tied on £9m.

Both Haaland and Salah were named in the top 100 taxpayers in the Sunday Times rankings, with Haaland 72nd and Salah 81st.

Meanwhile, looking ahead, Liverpool are planning for life beyond Van Dijk by securing 20-year-old defender Jeremy Jacquet.

The France under-21 international, who had also attracted interest from Chelsea, will arrive at Anfield in the summer following a deal worth an initial £55million plus up to £5m in add-ons to bring him from Rennes, where he will complete the current season.

With Van Dijk set to turn 35 in the summer, the club is putting foundations in place for a refreshed backline.

Manager Arne Slot said: “It’s another example of the model we’re using at this club – young, very talented players sometimes at the start of their careers or sometimes already a little bit into their careers.

“But always players that are young and can improve us in the short term, but also definitely in the long term.

“We’ve signed a lot of them recently and, like I’ve said many times, the mid to long-term future of this club, and even the short-term future, is in a very, very good place.”