Dwight Yorke has been talking the futures of Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah
Sport
Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold see their Liverpool contracts run out in the summer
Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold see their Liverpool contracts run out in the summer(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images2024 Liverpool FC)
A Manchester United legend has offered advice to Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold as their Liverpool contract negotiations go on. The trio are about to enter the final six months of their current deals.
That means from next Wednesday (January 1) they will be able to enter talks with overseas clubs about free transfer moves next summer.
Liverpool remain keen to stop that from happening and discussions between the players' representatives and the club's sporting director Richard Hughes are ongoing.
READ MORE: Virgil van Dijk makes future prediction amid Liverpool contract uncertaintyREAD MORE: Liverpool handed injury update ahead of Leicester City as Arne Slot explains Federico Chiesa absence
There were fears that the uncertainty surrounding the futures of captain Van Dijk, vice-captain Alexander-Arnold and leading goalscorer Salah could have had a negative on-the-field impact.
But that has been far from the case with the Reds, under impressive new head Arne Slot, having won 21 of their 25 matches in all competitions this season to sit top of the Premier League and the Champions League and to progress to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
With a FA Cup third-round tie to come next month at home to Accrington Stanley, going into the new year, Liverpool are still in with a chance of replicating the historic Treble wins of Manchester United in 1999 and Manchester City in 2023.
Dwight Yorke was part of the United team that won the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup 25 years ago and he has been speaking about what's happening with Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold and Salah.
"If Liverpool were doing a City at the moment then these players wouldn’t consider sticking around," said Yorke, referencing the defending Premier League champions' remarkable run of nine defeats in their last 12 games in all competitions. "Liverpool are flying at the moment.
"If you ask me, from a player’s perspective, there’s no need for them to sign a new deal halfway through the season. They are all in a strong position, they know that if Liverpool don't give them what they want, they've got other things lined up. It's not a drama for these players; there's no need to sign at this moment in time.
"You look at the three of them. Salah is scoring, he's still a top scorer. Van Dijk is solid at the back, looks colossal. Every time he's plays, he doesn't seem to break any sweat.
"Trent is hovering around, because there is the chance he might go to Real Madrid. There is no secret about that because of Jude Bellingham, his best mate. Why would you not want those options? Why would you rush into it
"They are winning the league at the moment. Just sit tight. There is no reason (to sign a new deal). If Liverpool win the league, then it puts all the players in a stronger position. They can walk away with the confidence and the backing of the fans because they’ve been instrumental in winning a title and they have all been magnificent servants of the club.
"If I were advising them, the message is simple: there's no rush. Liverpool can offer them as much as possible, but the players have let their contract run down to this point, so they may as well wait until the end of the season. There's no point signing the deal now."
Yorke is now manager of the Trinidad and Tobago national team and he has picked which Premier League player he'd love to have in his side.
"Every team needs a decent number six, someone that offers you that protection and stability in front of your back, someone that sets the tempo and keeps things ticking over," said the 53-year-old to sportslens.com.
"You can’t look any further than Rodri, he’s the best number six and the best defensive midfielder in the world! Any manager would love to have a guy like Rodri anchoring their midfield.
"Rodri isn’t available until the summer, so I would need another. Declan Rice? No, I think we can do much better than that! I wouldn’t be taking Declan Rice.
"In the absence of Rodri, I’ll have to go with Virgil van Dijk. He’s such a brilliant central defender and he would give me a lot of stability and assurance. He's got that physical presence at the back. Thinking about it, I would go for van Dijk for sure."