Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold
Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold (Image: Getty Images)
You have to trust owners Fenway Sports Group to get it right with the ongoing contract sagas at Liverpool. We know they are all in talks with Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold and hopefully there has been some real progress. They are now so close to being able to hear what is on the table from other clubs and supporters are becoming nervous.
Talks with all three of their agents and FSG is a step in the right direction but it has to be right for lads like Van Dijk and Salah, due to their ages and as a former player I can see where they are coming from. Salah is 32 and Van Dijk is 33 and while they will feel they can still perform at the elite level for a number of years, they are coming towards the twilight of their careers more generally.
They are still very fit and have the first yard in their minds, which makes up for it if you naturally lose a bit of speed but with the growing, developing squad that Arne Slot has available to him, they have remained as influential as ever this season. Both Salah and Van Dijk have been outstanding.
Salah's declaration at Southampton a couple of weeks ago was him letting his frustrations show and his feelings have come out via the media. Maybe that was a bit of a public poke towards owners FSG to get the ball rolling on the talks or step them up to where they need to be at this stage to get this all sorted out.
Mo has proven it week in and week that he can continue at this level and in truth we don't know exactly where and when that supposed drop-off due to his age comes. At this moment in time, though, it doesn't look like it is happening anytime soon. He has been so vital, he might not be playing out of his skin every week but he is getting goals and assists and he looks so sharp when he really gets going.
Salah also looks like he has got a point to prove and Liverpool have to keep him like that because sometimes when players sign new contracts, like all Reds fans hope he does, they can go missing and it has happened loads over the years. Sometimes players think: 'I've got my contract now, I can ease up' and then they rest on their laurels.
Now I am not suggesting Mo Salah would do that because he is too good, too professional and too dedicated, but Liverpool have got to keep their players hungry and it has certainly worked for Mo so far this season. He's scored 15 goals already and will be eyeing the Golden Boot in the Premier League, you can be certain of that.
With Trent, he is a local lad, a Liverpool fan and people are expecting him to sign because of those facts. But we are talking about ridiculous amounts of money here and if he leaves for Real Madrid, it will be an obscene amount, so it is about what the lad himself really wants.
Does he feel like he has to leave to join a bigger club? Are there any better clubs than Liverpool in world football? What I can say from my time in Spain is that Real Madrid is intense, the media interest is in your face constantly, and it is huge over there. At times it can be relentless if it is not going well.
You're talking about football newspapers that are out everyday there, not just the sports sections at the back. Over in Spain they have AS and Marca who are virtually dedicated to Real Madrid and they have to fill the paper every day. So the media glare you are subjected to when you play for that club is unlike any other. It is a lot of pressure but you have to get on with being a top player. Like I say, it is about what the lad really wants now.