"He's such an important player" – Virgil van Dijk claims Liverpool star will be considered a 'legend' for his contributions at Anfield club

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has claimed that Mohamed Salah will be viewed as a legend for his consistent performances at Anfield once he hangs up his boots.

Salah, 30, has established himself as one of the best attackers in the world since joining the Reds from AS Roma for an initial £36.5 million in 2017. He has helped the Merseysiders lift a total of seven trophies so far, including the 2019-20 Premier League title and the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League crown.

A left-footed inside forward blessed with pace and finishing, the Egyptian has won a number of individual awards and broken a host of goalscoring records during his time at Anfield. He has bagged three Premier League Golden Boots and two PFA Player of the Year awards among numerous other honors. However, Salah is often ignored in discussions about elite players.

Following Liverpool's 3-2 Premier League home victory against Nottingham Forest on Saturday (22 April), Van Dijk showered praise on Salah for his unmatched contributions to the Merseyside outfit's recent success. He told reporters:

"Most of the players here have contributed to big trophies. Mo will definitely be seen as a legend. He's such an important player. At a later stage, I think the things he's done will be appreciated a lot more. For us, we appreciate everything he does day in, day out. We see all the hard work that he puts in. He just has to keep it going."

Salah, who has a contract until June 2025 at Anfield, has been in superb form this campaign. Despite his team's struggles, the Egyptian has scored 27 goals and registered 11 assists in 44 appearances across all competitions so far.

Overall, Salah has netted a whopping 183 goals and contributed 74 assists in 298 matches for Liverpool. He needs four more goals to overtake Steven Gerrard on the Merseyside outfit's all-time list of top goal-scorers.

Liverpool forward agrees contract offer from La Liga giants: Reports

According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool star Roberto Firmino is set to join Barcelona on a free transfer in the upcoming summer transfer window. The Brazilian has agreed to put pen to paper after receiving a considerable contract offer.

Should Firmino join Barcelona this summer, he would provide solid competition to Robert Lewandowski. He could also feature as a second striker or as an attacking midfielder due to his positional versatility if and when required.

Firmino, 31, has been an excellent servant to Jurgen Klopp's outfit since arriving from Hoffenheim for £29 million in 2015. He has registered 109 goals and 79 assists in 360 games across all competitions for Liverpool.