Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have been linked with moves away from Liverpool in recent months.
Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, and Trent Alexander-Arnold will be out of contract in the summer, and Liverpool have not been able to agree on a new deal with them, even though they continue to push for a renewal.
Alexander-Arnold has been linked heavily with a move to Real Madrid, while clubs from Saudi Arabia are keeping tabs on Salah and van Dijk. However, former Liverpool defender, John Arne Riise believes that all three players are likely to commit their long-term futures to the Merseyside club.
Liverpool have done exceedingly well under Arne Slot, and they are fighting for trophies. The Reds are on top of the Premier League table, and they are in the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League as well. They have made it to the final of the English League cup. Riise believes that all three players are likely to want to continue at Liverpool. Given the way the team has performed under the new manager.
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Riise said, “I’ve been interviewed so many times, going back and forth every time. I was so sure Trent was going to leave. I was quite sure that Van Dijk and Salah would sign, but now I think they all are going to sign, to be fair.
“I think, I don’t know who, which one of them, but I think all of them have been thinking, ‘okay, how is this new manager going to fit in? How are we going to play this season? What’s the future of the club when Arne Slot comes in?’ And now they see how they play, dominant in the Premier League, looking good in the Champions League. I think they all see this as the club to be [at].”
Alexander-Arnold to move on?
Meanwhile, the Liverpool icon added that Alexander-Arnold might be swayed regarding a move to Real Madrid given the fact that he is quite young and has already achieved a lot with Liverpool. He might be keen on taking up a new challenge, and it remains to be seen how the situation develops.
“The only thing, I think, is for Trent’s sake, because he’s the youngest one, and he’s done it all already. For his personal challenge, and for his motivation, and for his way of wanting to have his career, I would understand if he left for Real Madrid, for another challenge, but then I would have done it the right way.
“Be honest with the fans. Tell them why he would go and not go just because of whatever reason. I think Van Dijk and Salah will stay another couple years because they see the club is the right place to be when it comes to winning trophies.”
Liverpool will be hoping to fight for major trophies in the coming seasons, and they need to hold onto their best players. All three players have been exceptional for them, and their departure would weaken the squad massively. Liverpool must do everything in their power to get the deal done, and it remains to be seen whether they can convince the trio to sign new deals with them.