According to reports, Liverpool is working “feverishly” to extend the contracts of Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Mohamed Salah.

WHAT OCCURRED?

With longtime manager Jürgen Klopp leaving in the summer and Arne Slot taking over as manager to guide the team into a new era, Liverpool is already going through a transitional phase. Now that the three players’ contracts are about to expire, many supporters are worried about how Liverpool let three of its most important players go into the last few months of their contracts without any remedies.

EX-CEO PETER MOORE’S COMMENTS

Peter Moore, the former CEO of Liverpool, who was present when the squad won the Premier League in 2020 and the Champions League in 2019, explained the contract issue. Speaking at Soccerex, Moore compared the current uncertainty to past challenges, pointing to the club’s comeback following Kevin Keegan’s departure in the 1970s and the signing of Kenny Dalglish.”I am old enough to remember Kevin Keegan going to Hamburg, thinking the world was collapsing around us,” he said. Whom are we going to pass the ball to? Then someone said we had a Celtic player named [Kenny] Dalglish. 

I don’t know what will happen. If it’s Trent, it’s Virgil; if it’s Mo, it’s Mo. It is unlikely that any of those will depart from Liverpool. I am aware that ownership is urgently trying to seal deals, whether it is all three, two of the three, one of the three, or none of the three.I don’t know, but if you look at those players, they all seem to be quite dedicated right now. Somehow, especially with those three, it’s impossible to take a game off. Even in Trent’s case, they are the elderly. 

We’ll see what happens in January, particularly with Trent, once you take into account what they have to give. I am aware, though, that ownership is frantically corresponding with each and every one of their agents.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

While fans hold out hope that all three players will extend their contracts, speculation about potential exits persists. Alexander-Arnold, in particular, has been linked with Real Madrid, with Los Blancos reportedly viewing him as a successor to Dani Carvajal. Meanwhile, Salah has suitors in Saudi Arabia who will be eager to bring the Egyptian to the burgeoning Pro League to add more star power.

WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

Liverpool are currently leading the Premier League standings with a five-point margin over holders Manchester City. They will be back in action against Southampton on Sunday.