Virgil van Dijk is facing a significant reduction in his earnings, having seen an impressive £9.7 million vanish due to taxes following the signing of his recent contract with Liverpool.
Last April, Van Dijk, the club's captain, ended months of speculation by agreeing to a new two-year deal with the Red half of Merseyside. His contract maintains the same financial terms as before, allowing him to earn approximately £350,000 weekly, which accumulates to around £40 million over the duration of the contract. However, the reality is that Van Dijk doesn't retain the majority of this amount, as he has paid a staggering £9.7 million in taxes over the last year, according to the Sunday Times Tax List.
This tax bill places him among the largest taxpayers not only in the realm of football but across the entire United Kingdom. Topping the list of footballers is Erling Haaland from Manchester City, who has contributed an astonishing £17 million in taxes during the same period. Following closely behind is Mohamed Salah, Van Dijk’s teammate at Liverpool, who has paid £14.5 million. In third place on the footballers' tax rankings is Casemiro, the Brazilian midfielder for Manchester United, who has contributed £10.9 million, just ahead of his anticipated departure from Old Trafford this summer.
Interestingly, Raheem Sterling, who recently parted ways with Chelsea by mutual consent, has paid £9.8 million in taxes—£100,000 more than Van Dijk. Additionally, Portuguese players Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, representing Manchester United and Manchester City respectively, are tied at £9 million each in tax payments.
Both Haaland and Salah have earned their spots in the top 100 taxpayers list published by the Sunday Times, with Haaland ranked 72nd and Salah at 81st.
Looking towards the future, Liverpool is strategically preparing for life beyond Van Dijk by acquiring 20-year-old defender Jeremy Jacquet. This young talent, who has also drawn interest from Chelsea, will be joining Liverpool in the summer after the club secured an agreement worth an initial £55 million, plus potential add-ons reaching up to £5 million. He will remain with Rennes until the season concludes.
As Van Dijk nears his 35th birthday this summer, Liverpool is proactively laying the foundation for a revamped defense. Head coach Arne Slot remarked, "This is another instance of the approach we’re implementing at the club – focusing on young, highly skilled players who may be at the beginning of their careers or already have some experience.
"Our goal is to always bring in players who are young and can enhance our team both now and in the future. We’ve signed several such players lately, and I’ve stated repeatedly that the club's mid- to long-term outlook, along with its immediate future, is very promising."
So what do you think? Is it fair that top athletes like Van Dijk face such hefty tax bills? Or should there be a different approach to taxation for high earners in sports? Share your thoughts in the comments!
