Virgil van Dijk remains Europe's highest-earning defender after signing his new contract with Liverpool, a report has revealed.

Negotiations over fresh terms with Van Dijk and fellow Liverpool star Mohamed Salah were allowed to drag out until April, just a matter of months before their previous deals expired, and it was reported that the Reds held concerns about making expensive commitments to two ageing players.

The duo eventually got their way as Salah, who turns 33 in June, inked a new deal worth a reported £380,000-per-week. Van Dijk, who celebrates his 34th birthday in July, then signed a new two-year deal of his own.

According to The Athletic, there is nothing atypical about Van Dijk's contract, which includes no break or release clauses, and the centre-back has not seen a drop in his earnings.

Van Dijk is believed to earn close to £400,000-per-week, making him the top-earning defender in the continent.

The vast majority of that salary is thought to be guaranteed and the only inventives in the contract revolve around team performance, rather than Van Dijk's individual achievements.

It is stressed that negotiations between Liverpool and Van Dijk never broke down, with the two parties instead working amicably towards a compromise which ultimately took a little longer to reach than most had hoped.

Significant behind-the-scenes changes, including the arrival of sporting director Richard Hughes and Jurgen Klopp's departure as manager, contributed to a delay in resolution but all parties were aware of the need to be patient in such tricky negotiations.

Liverpool are relieved to have tied both Salah and Van Dijk down to new deals but there remains significant concerns about right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is reported to have agreed to join Real Madrid on a free transfer. Manager Arne Slot, however, recently insisted nothing has been finalised yet.