In just over three months, Liverpool could potentially lose Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander Arnold.
This is unless the club can secure new contracts for the trio in what is becoming a last-minute scramble. Throughout the 2024/25 season, these players have dominated media coverage due to their pivotal roles within the team.
Now, there’s an added layer of complexity as we consider the collective – how will Liverpool reshape its squad next season? Speculation about other potential arrivals and departures at Anfield this summer is rife, but any decisions surely hinge on whether these three stars stay or go.
This is why, during the March international break, the situation has reached another critical juncture without any significant public breakthroughs. Here, we summarise the latest chatter around the futures of Salah, Van Dijk, and Alexander-Arnold.
Mohamed Salah
Salah last extended his contract with Liverpool in the summer of 2022, adding another three years. This is how we’ve arrived at the current situation. Out of the three, he’s been the most outspoken about the situation at various points throughout the season, expressing disappointment just three weeks ago that he had not yet received a personal offer – and this isn’t the first time he’s voiced such concerns.
During a Q&A session on Thursday, The Athletic’s David Ornstein addressed the latest on the situation, stating: “Not that I’m personally aware of. Which doesn’t mean there aren’t any, it may just be that it hasn’t come to the media/public attention yet.
“I just know Liverpool have been optimistic for some time that they will reach an agreement because, ultimately, they want Salah to stay and there is a belief that he is happy and would like the same. Now, of course, the numbers will need to be right (on what we think is a proposed two-year extension) and clearly that has not been easy… but there has so far been nothing to indicate talks have stopped or are not moving in a positive direction.
“Furthermore, when you make checks on rumors/reports/suggestions that Salah might be set for a move to the Saudi Pro League or PSG, for example, you tend to receive pretty immediate and firm denials. I also don’t sense the Champions League and EFL Cup final defeats will have any bearing on the outcome or timings. The same, I suspect, with Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold.”
Virgil van Dijk
The Dutchman last extended his contract in 2021, adding another four years to it. He’s since taken over the captaincy from Jordan Henderson and is leading Liverpool toward this season’s Premier League title.
The Anfield rumor mill has been in overdrive with whispers that Paris Saint-Germain might be plotting a swoop for Liverpool’s defensive stalwart after he was spotted in conversation with PSG’s top brass, Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Luis Campos, post-Champions League defeat. But PSG has quashed such talk.
David Ornstein of The Athletic addressed the Van Dijk to PSG gossip during his Q&A session, stating: “All parties playing down Van Dijk to PSG. Liverpool remain confident that he will extend at Anfield.”
Trent Alexander-Arnold
The right-back’s situation is also stirring up chatter. Having last penned a deal in 2021, which keeps him at Liverpool until 2025, the local lad and now vice-captain’s future is under the microscope. At 26, his peak years beckon, and there’s a buzz around whether he’ll seek new horizons or further etch his name into Liverpool folklore.
Real Madrid’s interest has been more than just idle gossip, with Spanish outlets consistently linking them to Trent. Madrid even made a tangible move in January, but Liverpool wasn’t having any of it. Still, Madrid could circle back when he becomes available on a free transfer come July 1.
According to the latest rumors from Spanish outlet AS, the full-back’s transfer is ’99 percent done’. AS suggests that all personal terms have been agreed upon, and only his signature on a contract is missing for him to officially become a Madrid player – a concerning development for Liverpool.
