With just eight days remaining in the summer transfer window, Liverpool fans are fully focused on whether their club will make any new additions.
The Reds have so far kept their powder completely dry since the end of last season, failing to sign a single player in the three months that have passed.
There remains a chance that that stays the case right up until the window closes. But between now and then, Liverpool could still do some business. Once all is said and done with the window, though, attention has to turn completely to keeping some of the most prized players in the Liverpool squad.
It has hardly gone unnoticed that Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mo Salah all have contracts due to expire in 2025. But with no other distractions, all efforts must be put into finding solutions for all three.
Virgil van Dijk inevitable to leave on a freeFor now, the contract situations of Liverpool’s star trio is playing second fiddle to the transfer market.
But a lack of signings at Anfield so far has only served to amplify the fact that they could also very well lose three huge players for nothing next summer.
Alexander-Arnold’s is perhaps the most pressing to sort, but Van Dijk and Salah are not far behind.
All three players underlined their importance to the Arne Slot era during Saturday’s Premier League opener against Ipswich.
Salah got a goal and an assist and Alexander-Arnold was crucial to everything good Liverpool did in attack. Meanwhile, Van Dijk was labelled ‘outstanding’ by Gabriel Agbonlahor having not put a foot wrong all game.
And it is the centre-back who is highlighted in The Athletic on Thursday as the rule is ran over what’s going on with his contract at Liverpool.
The consensus is that there is still no offer on the table from the Reds. And although it’s claimed that Van Dijk is happy to stay at Anfield, it is also reported that his future beyond this season is still in the balance.
Indeed, it is said to be ‘almost inevitable’ that Van Dijk will leave the club on a free transfer. Whether that’s next year or further in the future remains to be seen, but Liverpool will reportedly be highly unlikely to ever sell their No.4 while he’s under contract.
Liverpool must get the most out of Van DijkWith the distraction of the transfer window still ongoing, this has yet to become a full-blown crisis for Liverpool.
But the longer the season rumbles on with this yet to be sorted, the bigger sideshow it threatens to become for Slot.In Van Dijk’s case in particular, it always looked likely that he will depart Liverpool for nothing one day.
Now 33, it’s unlikely that the Reds would recoup much of the £75m they spent on him.But with that already now accepted, there’s no use letting the Dutchman walk out of the door when he still has so much to offer.
Van Dijk continues to show week-in, week-out just how important he is to Liverpool. Without a financial incentive to sell him, the Reds have to get absolutely everything they can out of one of the best players to ever play the position.
