Liverpool are enjoying a solid season in which the Premier League title looks likely to head to Anfield for the second time in five years.
Arne Slot has had a superb maiden campaign at Liverpool, building on the great work Jurgen Klopp has done to get the Reds within touching distance of the Premier League title.
However, there have also been some negatives for Liverpool, such as their early exits from the Champions League and FA Cup, along with their Carabao Cup final defeat.
Now, Paul Merson has spoken about something else that has happened at Liverpool which he has described as “criminal” in footballing terms.
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Paul Merson stunned by Liverpool letting star trio reach the end of their contracts
Merson can scarcely believe that Liverpool have allowed the contracts of three of their main players to get to within a few months of expiring.
The Reds are now likely to lose Trent Alexander-Arnold, who appears to be on the way to Real Madrid on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Meanwhile, the Anfield futures of Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah remain uncertain, and there is still the possibility that both could yet leave for nothing.
“I’ve been saying it for the last eight or nine months,” Merson began on Sky Sports. “I don’t see any of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk signing at Liverpool.
“Because I just don’t know why you wouldn’t have signed already. Why would you keep on losing £80,000 a week, every week for the last 18 months?
“I’d be quite shocked if all three stayed from here. Unless Liverpool are prepared to give them £30m, £40m in their bank account.
“When you get down to that much talent and they’re that good, you should never have less than two years, or two and a half years left on your contract before they’re sitting down and saying: ‘we want to go again’.
“And the only time their contracts should be running out is when they’re 33, 34, when no one wants them.
“In football terms, it’s criminal. It’s criminal that you can let three of the top players in the world of football have their contracts run down, and they could leave for absolutely nothing, go anywhere they want.”
The situation involving Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk futures
TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey has confirmed that Alexander-Arnold has already made up his mind about a move to Real Madrid.
Publicly, Liverpool’s record breaking offer to Alexander-Arnold remains on the table, but privately the Reds have long accepted that he is leaving Merseyside this summer.
As for Salah and Van Dijk, TBR Football understands fresh talks are due to take place over the coming weeks and Liverpool are hopeful of an agreement being reached with Salah and Van Dijk.
Meanwhile, David Ornstein has claimed that Liverpool have been optimistic about Salah’s contract situation for some time.
Reds fans are anxiously awaiting positive news on the Van Dijk and Salah front at the very least, otherwise it’ll be a monumental task to replace them.
