Liverpool have been heavily criticised by pundit Paul Merson over the ongoing uncertainty over the futures of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The Reds board have somehow managed to allow all three of these crucially important players to come to within just a few months of all becoming free agents as they near the ends of their contracts.
WORRYING Liverpool injury update from Arne Slot!
Despite everything going so well on the pitch for Liverpool at the moment, this is a hugely concerning situation for the club as they could lose three of their most important players, and arguably three of the best players in the world, for nothing at the end of the season.
Merson says it’s “criminal” and “unbelievable” that Liverpool chiefs have allowed the situation to come to this…
"It's criminal" ?
Paul Merson on the contract situations of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk ? pic.twitter.com/MxtmJeRqGj
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 28, 2024
Liverpool might still be able to keep all three players, but it’s certainly not the way fans will want to see the club being run, as these situations should all have been sorted out a long time ago.
Can Arne Slot keep Liverpool performing amid contract uncertainty?
So far, Arne Slot has done a tremendous job as Liverpool manager, but the longer this goes on, the more you have to wonder if it will start to affect the team on the pitch.
Still, fans might also point out that there was real concern last season when Jurgen Klopp announced that he’d be stepping down as manager in the summer, and the club have bounced back brilliantly since then.
There’s every chance that Liverpool would be able to rebuild even without Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold, though of course it would surely be easier to keep as many of them as possible.
Salah has been in particularly dazzling form so far this season, showing no signs of slowing down with age as he contributes heavily with goals and assists, while Van Dijk has been rock-solid as always at the back.
Alexander-Arnold is also a unique talent who came up through the LFC academy, and fans would no doubt be heartbroken to lose him just as he’s entering his peak years.