There has been a lot of talk surrounding contracts at Liverpool over recent weeks so here are three players the Reds should be handing new long-term deals to at Anfield.
It was reported on Sunday that Liverpool have made an opening contract offer to Mohamed Salah as the Merseyside club look to keep their Egyptian superstar beyond the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
The Reds will very likely focus on their captain Virgil van Dijk and vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold next, but who else is deserving of a bumper deal at Anfield?
Arne Slot has some high-performers in his squad at present so here is who should be rewarded for their efforts.
Ibrahima Konate
(THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Ibrahima Konaté of Liverpool during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between Liverpool...
Photo by Nikki Dyer – LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Ibrahima Konate is up there as one of the most underrated signings Liverpool have made over the last five years as the French international has proven that he is the future of the Reds’ defence since arriving on Merseyside from RB Leipzig in 2021.
There were some doubts over the French international’s future under Arne Slot at the start of the season as Jarell Quansah started over the 25-year-old during the Premier League giants’ opening game of the campaign away at Ipswich Town. The Dutch coach quickly changed his mind bringing the defender on at halftime and the pair have not looked back since, with Konate impressing Slot behind the scenes.
The centre-back has been magnificent at the heart of the Liverpool defence this season alongside Van Dijk and that pairing should be set in stone for Slot for at least the next three seasons.
Konate is out of contract at Anfield in 2026, therefore, the defender is a player the Reds would want to tie down soon.
Luis Diaz
Luis Diaz of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Liverpool FC at St James' Park on December 4, 2024 in Newcas...
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Since arriving at Liverpool from Porto in 2022, Luis Diaz has been electric in every sense of the word as the Colombian has become a fan favourite at Anfield in rapid fashion.
The 27-year-old made the left-wing his own during the end of the Jurgen Klopp era but since the arrival of Slot, the Dutch coach has helped shine a light on the versatility of the speedy winger. Diaz can be operated on either flank and more importantly, has shown to be capable of playing through the middle.
This was evident during Liverpool’s 4-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League in November as the Colombian international bagged a hat-trick against the German champions whilst being used in a free role centrally.
Pep Guardiola also admitted after Man City’s defeat at Anfield at the start of December that the Cityzen’s could not deal with Diaz.
Diaz is out of contract in 2027 and it is a deal the Merseyside club will not want to get too close to the end.
The 27-year-old is deserving of better terms and that should follow once the Reds have sorted out players with deals expiring much sooner.
Curtis Jones
Curtis Jones of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Liverpool FC at St James' Park on December 4, 2024 in New...
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Similar to Diaz, Curtis Jones will also see his current deal come to an end in 2027 and the midfielder is a player that Slot will want to tie down as soon as possible.
The Liverpool academy graduate has had to deal with injury issues in recent seasons and missed the start of the current campaign with a muscle problem. When fit, Jones has proven to be a very useful player for the Reds and has shown that he has the talent to be the future of the Merseyside club’s midfield.
There is a lot of competition for the three spots in the middle of the park but the 23-year-old has shown that he is good enough to be a starter – his performance against Chelsea in October being a prime example – while the Spanish press praised the performance of Jones against Real Madrid last month.
It is not only those at Liverpool who rate the midfielder, but England too, as the Reds star was called up to represent the Three Lions during the last two international breaks, although he missed one due to personal reasons.
At 23 there is still plenty of room for Jones to develop further and it is one of the main reasons why the Premier League leaders should be thinking of new terms for the Englishman soon.
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