Liverpool have been magnificent on the pitch so far this season, but while results under Arne Slot have been largely excellent, fans’ nerves have been frayed by the incessant speculation over the futures of three key players at Anfield.
Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold have just over six months remaining on their current contracts, and as it stands all three would be free to speak with non-English clubs from the beginning of January.
David Ornstein reported last week that each of the trio has received a proposal from the LFC hierarchy, but none of them have agreed a new deal as of yet.
On Wednesday morning, CaughtOffside shared a wide-ranging update on all three players and where they currently stand in relation to prospective new contracts at Liverpool.
Van Dijk has indicated that he wants to stay with the Reds and is seeking a two-year extension with ‘favourable financial conditions’.
Meanwhile, talks with Salah are progressing positively, with a likely outcome of a two-year deal with the option of an extra 12 months. LFC have reportedly set a deadline of 31 December for the crucial details to be ironed out so that they can have the Egyptian’s future resolved promptly.
Trent’s situation might take longer to resolve, even with Liverpool having made an improved four-year contract offer to the 26-year-old, believed to be worth €20m (£16.5m) per year.
Real Madrid remain firmly interested in our vice-captain and have scheduled a meeting for early January, although the player has yet to decide whether to remain with his boyhood club or take the opporunity to join Los Blancos.
Melissa Reddy recently suggested that Salah and Van Dijk are likely to stay but Trent could be harder to persuade, and that seems consistent with this latest update on the trio.
Sergio Aguero even went as far as to claim that the Egyptian has already agreed a new deal, and while we’ll keep the celebrations in check until an official announcement from the club, the signs are definitely pointing towards him renewing his commitment to Liverpool.
The Dutch defender appears to be in the same boat, with those two seemingly happy to stay on for a couple more years (taking them past 35) before maybe departing for one final chapter in their illustrious careers.
Trent’s situation is different, with the right-back in his prime footballing years and being presented with the chance to play for the most successful club in European football. Even the allure of being a local hero at Anfield mightn’t be enough for him to turn down the opportunity to play for Real Madrid.
It now seems most unlikely that his future will be sorted before January, although we’d like to think that Liverpool will do everything in their power to convince him that the grass won’t be greener elsewhere.
Right now, it looks as if Salah and Van Dijk might resolve their futures soon, but the saga surrounding our vice-captain could run a bit longer. We’d be OK with that so long as there’s a happy ending for all three players.
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