Chelsea showed interest in Virgil Van Dijk prior to contract extension

Chelsea are reported to have shown interest in signing Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk before the Dutchman’s contract extension at Anfield.

The Blues were looking for a move for van Dijk before Liverpool’s contract extension with the London outfit ‘feeling’ over the unlikely deal revealed.

The reports reveal that Chelsea wanted to sign Van Dijk for free in the summer, as speculations over the player’s contract extension with the league leaders kept dragging on.

Van Dijk put all rumours to rest by signing a new two-year Liverpool contract on Thursday. The 33-year-old defender was out of contract this summer, but now he has come to an agreement with the Reds by extending his stay at Anfield until 2027.

The news came as a nerve-settler for Premier League giants, who did everything possible to keep their man, warding off other suitors.

The club had earlier convinced Mohamed Salah to sign a similar new deal, keeping both player at Mersey-side until 2027.

Reports from The Daily Mail have revealed that, before Van Dijk put pen to paper on a new deal, Chelsea had reportedly shown interest in signing the player as a free agent in the summer.

Virgil Van Dijk signed a two-year contract extension at Anfield within the week(Image credit: Getty Images)

However, Chelsea later back-tracked after its sources maintained that the Liverpool stalwart would commit his future to the Merseyside club.

The Netherlands international was also linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain after he was spotted chatting with sporting director Luis Campos after their Champions League round of 16 fixture at Anfield.

The Athletic has reported that Van Dijk’s salary under the new deal will be in the region of £400,000 per week, maintaining his status as Europe’s best-paid defender.

Liverpool face relegation-bound Leicester City away from home in the Premier League on Sunday, and a win against the Foxes will crown them champions of England for a record-equalling 20th time.

However, that will only be possible if Arsenal lose against another bottom-half side, Ipswich, earlier that day.