Liverpool manager Arne Slot has revealed his position on the contract of three key Liverpool players that is set to expire at the end of the 2024-25 season.
The Reds’ top forward Mohamed Salah, center-back and captain Virgil van Dijk, and right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold have yet to sign a new contract with the club. Their contracts will expire next summer, with reports linking them to a possible exit.
More worrying for the Reds’ fans is that all three players will be free to enter into contract talks and negotiations with other clubs in January 2025.
Alexander-Arnold linked to Real Madrid
Particularly, Arnold, 25, is strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid. The England right-back, who groomed his career with the Merseyside outfit, is a prime defender target for the La Liga and European giants.
With Euro-winning Spain midfielder Dani Carvajal sidelined, Los Blancos are reportedly set to push for a January move for the young defender.
Futballnews understands Liverpool aren’t ready to part ways with Alexander-Arnold but have yet to renew his contract.
The prolific defender hinted recently that he is open to renewing his deal with the childhood club. However, a move away from the Anfield outfit is not ruled out.
Mohamed Salah is another Liverpool frontman who could make for the exit door in January or in the summer. The Egyptian forward has a few months left on his contract and will be free to negotiate with suitors from January 2025.
He was strongly linked with a move to Saudi Arabia last summer. Saudi giants Al-Ittihad broke the bank and tabled a whopping £150m offer to Liverpool for Salah but were turned down.
The Reds consider Salah key to the squad but have yet to broker new terms with the player and could risk losing him at the end of the season as a free agent.
The club’s skipper, Virgil van Dijk, completes the three-man list. The top-rated Dutch defender has not signed a new contract yet, and his deal will expire at the end of the season.
Van Dijk has been linked to a move to Saudi Arabia. He has also attracted interest from 2023-24 UEFA Champions League finalists and Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund.
Arne Slot reacts to the contract saga of Mohamed Salah, Alexander-Arnold, and Van Dijk.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has insisted that he is not worried about the ongoing uncertainty over the futures of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
According to him, he could only be worried if the uncertainties over the future of the trio affected their performances for the club.
So, as long as they are playing at the top level, he has nothing to worry about.
”For me, the contract situation could become a problem if the players don’t perform as well as they do at the moment,’ Slot said.
“Of course, it’s not sure if they perform not as well anymore that it has anything to do with their contract situation.
”At the moment all three of them are in a good place; all of them perform really, really, really well, and there are ongoing discussions, as Virgil said, with the people he has to talk with, and that’s not me, as you know. I talk with him about other things,” he said.
Salah, Van Dijk, and Alexander-Arnold’s future at Liverpool still uncertain
Notably, Arne Slot’s comment on the trio’s contract still kept fans in the dark as to their future at the club after the end of the ongoing 2024-25 season. Insiders reveal talks have been ongoing internally to settle new terms with the players, but no agreement has been reached yet.
As things stand, Liverpool could lose all three players in what could be a groundbreaking transfer exodus if no new deal is agreed.
Salah has scored six goals with five assists in nine Premier League matches this season. Alexander-Arnold has played all nine of the Reds’ matches in the campaign and has one assist.
Van Dijk has also started all nine matches and has a goal. The three players have been integral to Arne Slot’s Liverpool setup, and it is believed the Dutch tactician will hope to continue with the trio if he has his way.
