Liverpool

Arne Slot took over at Anfield from legendary boss Jurgen Klopp in the summer, with many expecting that the Dutchman would find it hard to replace the charismatic German.

However, Slot has won 11 of his 12 games in charge this term, and the Reds are already first in the Premier League, one point ahead of second-placed Manchester City and four points ahead of third-placed Arsenal.

Though the team have been a remarkable success on the pitch so far, the Reds boss continues to deal with the headache of arguably his three best players being out of contract at the end of the season.

Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk will leave the club for free as things stand, with fans desperate for the trio to stay.

Lynch has provided encouraging updates about the situation regarding captain van Dijk, who himself confirmed he was in negotiations with the club over a new contract following the side's 2-1 win against Chelsea last Sunday.

Speaking to Sports Mole, Lynch was hopeful that the defender would extend his stay on Merseyside, saying: "I was part of the group of journalists who spoke to Virgil after the game about that. And yeah, he wasn't really giving too much away in terms of, you know, how it was progressing and whether he felt it was going to get signed. But I still think it's a massive positive that those talks are now being confirmed as ongoing, because I think the last time we asked him about it was at one of the pre-season games against Sevilla, and at that point he said there were no talks ongoing.

"So, it is a step forward. It is a positive. Again, with that one, I do, you know, I tend towards optimism on that one as well. I would say on the basis that I think Virgil has made it very clear to us whenever he spoke to us in the mix zone, you know, since last season really, that he would love to stay at Liverpool. He's very happy there. He wants to keep being captain. He's very settled in the city."

'Straightforward one for Liverpool'

Lynch noted that he was somewhat optimistic that an agreement would be reached in large part because he feels that Van Dijk's contract renewal was far less complicated than potential deals for Salah and Alexander-Arnold.

"Wage-wise, he's not near a Mo Salah in terms of he's not near that £350,000 a week. I wouldn't expect he would necessarily need a bump in terms of wages. So, I think it's a straightforward one for Liverpool to do.

"The desire is there on the club's side and the player's side. I think possibly of the three, it's maybe the most straightforward, actually. And so, yeah, I'm hopeful that one will get done as well, to be honest."

Salah has long been courted by clubs in the Saudi Pro League, and should he leave for free he will no doubt have offers on the table from a host of teams, while Real Madrid's admiration of Alexander-Arnold has been well documented.

Though Van Dijk would have his pick of clubs should he depart the Reds for free in the summer, he has yet to be consistently linked to another team in the manner of the other two stars, and the lack of links away has given some fans optimism that the Dutchman is more likely to renew than either Salah or Trent.

'No-brainer'

Some have questioned whether extending Van Dijk's time on Merseyside is the right course of action considering he is now 33 years old, but the centre-back has led by example this season with several defensive masterclasses and has arguably been Slot's best player so far this campaign.

In fact, the Reds have only conceded three goals in eight league games, are yet to concede in the first half of Premier League matches and have kept seven clean sheets in their 12 fixtures this term.

Lynch argued that ensuring the Dutchman signs a new deal is an easy decision, and suggested that the defender could continue playing at his current level beyond the 2024-25 season.

"For Liverpool, I think [extending Van Dijk's contract is] just a little bit of a no-brainer as well in terms of, you know, he's playing at a world-class level. He plays in a position where he can go a little bit longer.

"One of the things he actually said to us at the weekend was that, you know, he's feeling great in his body. He's feeling like he can play on for a long time. He feels good mentally. And as I say, centre-half is a position where you can do that for a little bit longer. And, you know, Liverpool have got arguably the world's best centre-back on the books there, one who wants to stay."

Van Dijk scored the winner in last season's EFL Cup final against Chelsea in February, and if the Liverpool captain extends his stay at Anfield, there is every chance that he could lead the club to further silverware.