David Lynch has taken one ‘positive’ from a recent update on the contract sagas surrounding Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
In a recent report for The Times, reliable journalist Paul Joyce indicated that talks with the three Liverpool stars over potential new deals at Anfield have reached ‘an impasse’.
However, according to Lynch, that’s not necessarily a negative thing, as he told Anfield Agenda: “I think it was perceived negatively that the word impasse was used, but I still think there’s a positive to be taken there.
We know probably four, five weeks ago that talks hadn’t even started particularly with Salah and Van Dijk. That had moved nowhere.
Now we’re at somewhere where we’re saying, it’s at an impasse, but that back and forth negotiation is going on. I think it’s massively encouraging and suggests that movements are being made towards keeping them.
FSG and Richard Hughes need to act fastLynch makes a valid point in stating that some fans might have taken one word out of context from a comprehensive report and that it’s a good thing that club chiefs are at least in dialogue with the players about prospective new deals. All three of Salah, Trent and Van Dijk’s contracts expire at the end of this season.
Given how important they are to the Reds, it’s a worry that things haven’t been sorted out so far in that regard.The right-back has constantly been linked with a move to Real Madrid, while the Egyptian King has seemingly hinted that this could be his last season at the club.
Meanwhile, the captain has reportedly told close friends that his priority is to extend his stay at Anfield – we’d be over the moon if that were to happen.
While Lynch is taking an optimistic view from Joyce’s report, one thing remains clear – club owners FSG and sporting director Richard Hughes need to sort out the situation fast.
Given how instrumental the trio have been to Liverpool’s success in recent years, losing any of them would be a huge blow for Arne Slot and the supporters.
Losing all three of them on free transfers in the same summer is a scenario which gives us nightmares, but there’s still time to ensure that such a dreaded prospect doesn’t come to pass.
