Liverpool has been warned it’s staring at the brutal reality of losing all three key players this summer. Paul Merson predicts a less than ideal scenario where Liverpool could face the loss of their out-of-contract trio of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.
As Arsenal, Merson’s old stomping ground, narrowed Liverpool’s cushion to a mere nine points following a 2-1 victory against Fulham, concerns rise over the Reds’ long-term squad stability, in spite of them still spearheading the table ahead of the highly-anticipated Merseyside derby. Against Everton on Wednesday, Arne Slot’s men step into the derby spotlight with a steely gaze on the prize; needing just 16 more points from the remaining 27 to clinch their 20th English crown, a feat that would etch Slot’s inaugural season into the annals of history.
Yet, despite the ongoing success, the unresolved futures of stalwart defender and skipper Van Dijk, right-back maestro Alexander-Arnold, and goal machine Salah loom like dark clouds. With contracts expiring on June 30, Liverpool risks seeing this illustrious trio exit for free the following day.
Alexander-Arnold’s whispers of a transfer to Real Madrid persist, while Van Dijk and Salah have signalled intentions to stay. Time is running thin, and as Merson contemplates, the potential collective departure by July is nothing short of “criminal.”
The Arsenal icon made a bold statement in his Sky Sports column, writing: “I’ve been saying it for the last eight or nine months – I don’t see any of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk signing at Liverpool,” and added, “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?”.
He voiced his surprise: “I’d be quite shocked if all three stayed from here. Unless Liverpool are prepared to give them £30m, £40m in their bank account.”
Discussing Liverpool’s potential strategy, he noted: “If Liverpool want to keep on being successful and go again next year, they’ve got to keep Van Dijk and Salah, assuming Alexander-Arnold has already gone.” Highlighting the value of the players, he mentioned: “I think Van Dijk and Salah are the best in the business in their positions. If I could buy anybody, I’d buy them two.”
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On the consequences of losing key players, he stressed: “If you lose Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold, you’ve lost half of the back four. And if you lose Salah, you’re losing 30 to 40 goals a season. Good luck finding them anywhere else.”
Reflecting on contract management, he said: “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 he condemned poor planning: “And the only time their contracts should be running out is when they’re 33, 34, when-no one wants them.” Finally, he stated emphatically: “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.”
(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
