Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp has claimed that Virgil van Dijk should be the highest paid player at the club - ahead of Mohamed Salah amid the forward's contract talks.
The Reds are currently negotiating with Salah's representatives to keep him at on Merseyside beyond the end of next season when his current deal runs out. With the two sides seemingly no closer to reaching an agreement, speculation has continued to mount that the Egyptian could depart the club.
Liverpool do have strength in depth in the forward areas. Diogo Jota arrived in September 2020 and has been a roaring success - much like Luis Diaz, who has been a revelation since making the move from Porto in January. Jurgen Klopp's attacking options will also be bolstered this summer when Fabio Carvalho joins from Fulham. No-one, however, wants Salah to leave.
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One player who will not be leaving Anfield anytime soon is Van Dijk, who is contracted to the club until 2025. The former Southampton defender was sorely missed last season after he suffered a serious knee injury. His return this season has seen Jurgen Klopp's side not only win the FA Cup and Carabao Cup but also reach the UEFA Champions final and stand a chance of winning the Premier League going into the final weekend of the campaign.
And Van Dijk's value to the team has led to Redknapp believing the centre-back is impossible to replace in the transfer market - unlike Salah.
"Virgil van Dijk, for me, is the most important player at the club. I wouldn't give anyone more money than him," Redknapp told Sky Sports. "That's how I see it. I know strikers should get more, in terms of that's sort of been the way it is, but whatever Virgil gets, he should get the most.
"They will find another Mo Salah. You can't find another Virgil van Dijk right now. Liverpool could theoretically, if they lost him, maybe go and get someone to replace Salah. His goals, his numbers, are unbelievable, but there will always be another great striker that comes to this club. They've had so many in the past and they will have so many in the future."
Salah has 22 goals and 14 assists in 34 Premier League games this season while adding a further eight goals and two assists in 12 UEFA Champions League games on the road to Paris, where the Reds will meet Real Madrid in the final for the second time in five seasons.
