Van Dijk: I've told Salah to stay at Liverpool

Virgil van Dijk has told Mohamed Salah he would like him to stay at Liverpool amid speculation he could leave the club in January.

Salah came off the bench in Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon, claiming an assist for Hugo Ekitike in the second half. It was the 33-year-old's first appearance since his explosive interview at Elland Road last weekend, when he accused the club of throwing him "under the bus".

Salah also suggested the clash with Brighton could be his last game for Liverpool after his relationship with head coach Arne Slot had broken down. Conversations over the forward's long-term future are expected to continue when he departs for the Africa Cup of Nations this week.

"Of course I speak to him," Van Dijk said. "I speak about everything with him. Of course I've told him I want him to stay. The rest I'm not going to tell you.

"I wish him all the best and come back hopefully. I have no control over that. He is one of the leaders. I would love to have him around because he is one of the leaders. But obviously the fact is he is going to AFCON. I wish him absolutely all the best. We will be in contact over the next days and weeks, we always are. And then let's see."

Asked how he thinks Slot has dealt with the saga, Van Dijk added: "I think he's handled the situation very well. Calm in his own way. It is a very tricky situation. There is a lot of noise and pressure from the outside world, obviously and rightly so because we've not been up or close to the standard of last season but we are human beings and everyone reacts in a different way.

"But personally looking at it and the conversations we've had on a daily basis, I think he's handled it very well. He's at a club where it is a together club and that's how it's been before our time at the club and that is something we have to keep going. We go through the good times together as a team and fanbase. And when difficult moments arise we also have to stick together. This moment in time is a very good moment to see how everyone responds and the manager did perfectly so far."

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Liverpool's win over Brighton means they are now unbeaten in five games in all competitions, having claimed back-to-back victories for the first time since early November.

Reflecting on how challenging the past week has been for the squad, Van Dijk said: "That is something behind the scenes that we have to deal with but the performances speak for themselves, that we are united and that is the most important thing. The mood in the dressing room has always been very good, obviously it can go down in terms of performances if you win or lose but the main thing I see is that we have the willingness to turn this around and the hunger and the energy to do so.

"Obviously it is what happens between the white lines over 95 minutes. We know the season is very long and we want to be consistent. We have to keep going and stay calm."