Everton manager David Moyes has taken his opportunity to respond to Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah’s contract news at Liverpool.
It is not just Everton who have been suffering from a contract headache on Merseyside.
David Moyes has remained coy when it comes to new deals being handed out at Finch Farm, with the club still not mathematically safe.
Everton are looking to hand Idrissa Gana Gueye a new deal but there has not been any struck just yet ahead of the summer.
But Moyes is not going to be pressured into making any rash decisions with the clock ticking down until the respective deals run out.
However, he has taken the opportunity to take a dig at the news coming out of Anfield in recent days.
Everton’s David Moyes takes swipe at Virgil van Dijk contract news at Liverpool
Virgil van Dijk has issued digs at Everton in recent weeks following the quickfire Merseyside Derbies this year.
With that in mind, the Liverpool captain must be ready to accept anything come back in return.
And that is what Moyes did on Thursday when he spoke to the media and was asked about the contract news from the other side of Stanley Park.
“No. Looks a bad signing, if you ask me. Can’t see how that player’s going to work,” Moyes joked when asked if it was good news for the Premier League.
“He’s been a terrific player for Celtic and a terrific player for Liverpool.”
Arne Slot has praised Everton for their stern displays in the two derbies, but it was Liverpool who enjoyed the last laugh at Anfield.
But Everton ran them close and it does go to show the encouraging work which Moyes has put in since he returned to Goodison Park.
What Virgil van Dijk said about Everton
The Toffees got right under the skin of the Reds back in February when they met for the final time at Goodison.
James Tarkowski wrote his name in Everton history with his stoppage-time equaliser in front of the Gwladys Street End.
However, it was the scenes after full-time which really made the headlines as the players, and staff, showed a real lack of discipline.
That spilled over into the media duties as Van Dijk took aim at Everton’s celebrations.
“We all know this is their cup final and they will do everything in their power to try and win against us,” Van Dijk said.
“This year, you see them scoring at the end and it’s obviously a big boost for them but it’s a blow for us.”
Everton will now get the opportunity to silence the defender as he has just inked a new two-year deal.
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