Ex-Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster has rubbished claims that Liverpool should be held accountable for the unresolved contract matters concerning three pivotal squad members. The futures of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose contracts lapse in the summer, remain unclear as negotiations over extensions run into a stalemate.
Critics have lambasted the Anfield chiefs for the drawn-out impasse with their star trio. Nonetheless, former Manchester United shot-stopper Foster insists it’s highly improbable the club didn’t make early attempts to secure new agreements far before the looming deadline.
Foster, who earned caps for England and has since stepped into podcasting, emphatically stated on his Fozcast: “A lot of Liverpool fans have said [to the club], ‘How have you managed to let Alexander Arnold get down to the last few months?’ Nobody knows what conversations were going on.
“I guarantee you, with all of the players that have been out of contract, with two years to go, the club have approached them and said, ‘Let’s get a new contract sorted’. If any of those three players come out and say they didn’t, they are lying.”
Van Dijk has hinted strongly at a contract extension, envisioning his future at Anfield. The influential skipper, nearing 34, is reportedly looking for a two-year extension and the club appears eager to secure a deal.
Speaking in the wake of a disappointing 3-2 defeat to Fulham, Van Dijk provided some positive news amidst the frustration, stating: “There is progress, yeah. I don’t know, we’ll see. Listen, these are internal discussions and we’ll see.
“I love the club, I love the fans and they were there for us again and we wanted to reward them at Fulham. But I want them to be there against West Ham on Sunday again and make the stadium an amazing venue like always for us.”
As manager Arne Slot focuses on Liverpool’s push to match a historic 20th league title, this development regarding Van Dijk can only be described as harmonious.
(Image: Nick Taylor)
Yet amid this good news, unsettling rumours pivot around Alexander-Arnold, fueled by Real Madrid’s intensified pursuit during the international hiatus. Liverpool supporters are understandably aggrieved by the thought of their prodigious full-back departing.
In response to the uproar, Foster weighed in with a pragmatic take, urging: “Look at it from Trent’s perspective – he’s going to go and join a football club that he knows every year, without doubt, will be in the top two in Spain and will at least be in the quarter-finals or semi-finals of the Champions League.
That Real Madrid team is probably the best team in the world right now. They’ve got a young team that you would like to think will flourish for the next five or ten years. He’s going to be joining a club that will be winning things, but then you’ve got to look at the financials involved as well. If he joins Real Madrid, he’s going on a free transfer and he’ll be able to get a signing-on fee, which will be astronomical.
Liverpool, however, remains optimistic about coming to an agreement with Salah that would see him prolong his eight-year tenure at Anfield. The Egyptian forward has netted 32 times in all competitions this season for the Reds, including 27 Premier League goals.
