Van Dijk urges leader Salah to remain at Liverpool

Virgil van Dijk hopes Mohamed Salah will continue with Liverpool despite the Egyptian forwards heated outburst against the club, although the Reds skipper concedes uncertainty about the coming weeks.

Salah made a substitute appearance against Brighton on Saturday, marking his return since accusing the club of betraying him after the previous weekends 3-3 stalemate with Leeds.

In that interview at Elland Road, the attacker also mentioned lacking any bond with Liverpool boss Arne Slot, who had benched him for three consecutive matches.

Salah missed the subsequent Champions League away game at Inter Milan, which Liverpool won 1-0, but returned as a halftime replacement versus Brighton.

The 33-year-old set up Hugo Ekitikes second strike in a vital 2-0 victory, before heading off to the Africa Cup of Nations where he might miss up to five weeks.

Post-match, Slot insisted no problems needed addressing with his key player, yet rumours persist regarding Salahs long-term prospects.

Van Dijk firmly desires Salahs commitment and has expressed this directly to him.

I truly want him here as he ranks among our key figures, yet he heads to AFCON now. We will keep in touch during the upcoming days and weeks as usual, and await developments, the Dutch centre-back remarked.

I send him my very best wishes and hope for his return if possible. Such matters lie beyond my influence.

We expect great achievements from him there, and collectively wish for his vital contributions upon rejoining for the seasons remainder.

That said, footballs unpredictability means we cannot foresee outcomes.

Liverpool, the Premier League title holders, capped a challenging week by stretching their unbeaten streak to five games across competitions.

Van Dijk noted this demonstrated the squad remained focused despite the Salah drama.

In my role as captain, I must gauge the teams response, and they handled it impeccably. Mo ultimately did the same, he noted.

Van Dijk commended Slot for navigating the turbulent phase at Liverpool, whose title challenge has faltered lately.

External scrutiny and demands are intense, justified by our dip from last seasons heights, he observed.

From my viewpoint and our regular discussions, he has managed admirably.

This juncture tests everyones mettle. I believe the manager excelled.