Former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant says FSG should do everything it can to keep Reds captain Virgil van Dijk — even if it means "breaking the bank". As it stands, the 33-year-old Dutchman is out of contract at the end of the season.
Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold are in the same position with negotiations ongoing with the trio to establish a solution. Liverpool needs to avoid losing any of arguably its three best players for nothing in 2025 but there is a balance to be struck with sporting director Richard Hughes knowing that one deal will impact the others — and future talks with others on the roster.
"In this day and age, you have to pay the big bucks to keep your best players, and that’s what Liverpool need to be doing with Van Dijk," Pennant told Mega Dice. "Man City have been doing this for the past decade and have kept their top stars, none of them have really slipped through the net, apart from Cole Palmer.
"I know Liverpool have got a wage structure in place at the club but, with players like Van Dijk, you have to offer them what they’re worth. He has such an impact on the team, it’s essential to keep him — alongside Salah and Alexander-Arnold — even if it means breaking the bank."
Liverpool has been keen to avoid negotiations playing out in public but Salah did speak to reporters a couple of weeks ago, expressing his "disappointment" that an offer hadn't been tabled. The Athletic reported in the last couple of days that the Egyptian has now been sent a formal offer with the player understood to be keen to remain on Merseyside.
Liverpool.com says: Keeping all three players is obviously the right thing to do as long as the finances are right. They all remain at the top of their game and there is no reason for them to want to leave Anfield either. For both parties, coming to a compromise just makes the most sense.