Liverpool manager Arne Slot has been forced to address rumours regarding two of his star players - Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold - on the eve of the Merseyside Derby
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Arne Slot head coach of Liverpool during a training session
Arne Slot has lots to ponder ahead of the derby(Image: Andrew Powell/Getty Images)
The second Merseyside Derby of the season is here, just a few months after the first, but the build-up to the match, from a Liverpool perspective at least, has been dominated by transfer talk. The futures of Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk have been discussed a lot this season and that isn’t likely to change.
All three will see their current Liverpool contracts expire on June 30 and none have publicly committed themselves to the club. Of the three, Van Dijk looks the most likely to stay put, while Alexander-Arnold appears the most likely to leave, with Real Madrid working hard to land him.
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Salah is in the midst of his best ever season for the Reds, with the Premier League title on the horizon. But his future remains uncertain, with suggestions of a move to Saudi Arabia continuing to linger. Liverpool would be forced to cough up a huge contract to keep their star attacker.
So while Liverpool are focused on facing Everton at Anfield on Wednesday night, there are plenty of subplots and storylines to keep an eye on. Here are the latest headlines from Mirror Football.
READ MORE: Arne Slot points finger at Mo Salah over Federico Chiesa's Liverpool problemREAD MORE: Liverpool ahead of Man Utd in Milos Kerkez transfer race as price tag emerges
Salah 'open' to Saudi move
Rumours of Salah moving to Saudi Arabia to earn a huge contract have subsided of late, but the prospect remains very real. The Egyptian forward is out of contract at the end of June and nothing has been agreed to keep him at the club.
He was the subject of a monster £150million bid from Al-Ittihad in the summer of 2023 and clubs from the Middle Eastern country are not ready to back off yet. The Telegraph claim that clubs in Saudi Arabia are confident that Salah remains open to the prospect of making a lucrative move overseas.
Salah is said to be prioritising talks with Liverpool for now, but the offer of major cash from Al-Hilal isn’t to be ruled out entirely. Things are likely to intensify in the coming months, especially once Liverpool have secured the Premier League title.
Mohamed Salah #11 of Liverpool F.C. is in possession of the ball during the Premier League match between Everton and Liverpool
Mo Salah faces Everton on Wednesday night as rumours swirl over his future
Alexander-Arnold U-turn suggested
Unlike Salah, Alexander-Arnold’s proposed move to Real Madrid is reportedly a done deal, with the right-back set to move to the Spanish capital on a free transfer and sign a five-year contract when his Liverpool deal expires. However, Wayne Rooney has urged caution, pointing to his own experiences.
“I found out myself, just because there are talks over a transfer does not mean it will happen,” Rooney wrote for BBC Sport. “It is well known that some United fans protested outside my house when they thought I was going to leave in 2010, but I'd agreed my new contract by then.
“Alexander-Arnold has not signed anything with Real yet and it would not surprise me if, even after all this speculation, he ends up staying at Anfield after all. A lot can happen before a contract is signed – as I know from experience.”
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold is out injured at the moment(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Slot speaks out
The Liverpool boss spoke to reporters on Tuesday morning ahead of the Merseyside Derby and had to field a lot of questions about his three biggest stars and their futures at the club.
After saying that the priority for Alexander-Arnold was getting back fit, Slot said: “For eight months it went a bit up and down with talks about him, Virgil or Mo, but we have never been focused on those talks, we have always been focused on what we have to do, and for Virgil and Mo that is trying to win the Merseyside derby and for Trent it is trying to be fit as soon as he can.
“It is a situation that is there for eight or nine months now and I think all these three players have performed so well under these circumstances so it doesn’t affect me at all.”
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