The contract status of three senior players has given Liverpool plenty to think about away from their cruise towards the Premier League title this season.
The Reds have now had confirmation that they’ll lose Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid in the summer, the first of the trio to come to a definitive conclusion.
Mo Salah could be next. With Virgil van Dijk also out of contract at the end of the season, Salah has moved a step closer to finalising his plans according to reports in Egypt.
Is Mohamed Salah in line for a new Liverpool contract?
“According to Egyptian news outlet Masrawy, Liverpool have ‘entered into serious negotiations’ over a contract renewal for the star forward,” reports Caught Offside.
The Masrawy report suggests that Alexander-Arnold leaving for Madrid has given Liverpool the financial freedom to make their best offer yet to Salah and that talks are at an advanced stage.
Salah, who is the 3/1 favourite to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or, will turn 33 in June but has been at his very best for long periods of this season.
His 27 league goals make him the leading scorer not only in the Premier League but in any of Europe’s top five leagues.
He leads the same rankings for assists too, another demonstration of his importance to Arne Slot and Liverpool as they target their second league title of the Premier League era.
Liverpool are 12 points clear of Arsenal at the top of the table and have a vastly better goal difference. With nine games to play, the Reds should soon bring the Premier League trophy back to Anfield.
Exits from the FA Cup and Champions League were followed by defeat to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final, leaving Liverpool with a sole focus on the league title and Salah has been vital on that front.
Van Dijk’s Anfield future is more doubtful. The Dutchman has become one of the world’s leading central defenders since joining Liverpool from Southampton in 2018 but reports this week indicate that the captain will follow Alexander-Arnold out of the club.
Paris Saint-Germain are apparently interested in the 33-year-old and the Champions League hopefuls could pick him up on a Bosman in the summer.
If Van Dijk does leave, securing Salah’s signature will be even more important for Liverpool.
Losing Alexander-Arnold is the result of a highly talented player winning the lot with his boyhood club and wanting to test his mettle at the biggest club in the world but it’s imperative that Liverpool don’t have to say goodbye to all three.
While a significant retooling is expected at Anfield this summer, covering three unwelcome departures of key players would be a starting point Slot would like to avoid.
