Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group have been strongly condemned for allowing a quintet of stars to potentially run their contracts down and leave manager Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes with a huge headache over replacing around £450m worth of talent.
The story of Slot’s first season as Liverpool boss has been dominated by two major stories. Firstly, the Reds’ relentless march towards the Premier League title – only their second English league crown in the last 35 years – and the depreciating contract situations surrounding Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Indeed, as it stands, the trio will all become free agents in just 89 days and will be eligible to sign for a club of their choosing on July 1 unless the Merseysiders manage to tie them down to extensions in the intervening period.
However, the bigger picture also shows that Liverpool are also racing against the clock to tie down other prized assets with two other first-team regulars in Alisson Becker and Ibou Konate also out of contract on June 30, 2026.
Now the prospect of losing ALL FIVE players has been debated on talkSPORT – with Ally McCoist and Dean Saunders pointing the finger at FSG.
“They’re out of the Champions League, they’ve lost the Carabao Cup, they’ve had a great season because they’re going to win the league but now [contract talk] becomes certainly a major talking point,” McCoist began.
“How can that happen? How can you allow hundreds of millions of pounds, we are talking about here.
“So we’re talking about Spurs, Daniel Levy, who runs that ship as tight as you can get it.
“Now Spurs fans would clearly love the success Liverpool have had in terms of winning trophies, but what my point would be, I don’t think you could see Spurs players, worth £100m, leave for nothing.”
Dean Saunders replied: “I might be wrong, but I think Konate and Alisson have got a year left after this, so once players get down to one year left on their contract, you’re in danger are losing them.
“And if you add it up, so Konate, what, £75million, Trent £75million, Salah £100million, Van Dijk £100million – there’s your five best players.
“This is if Alisson and Konate leave, you’ve got £450million worth of players.
“To replace them, you’ve got to spend £450million, to get better or the same.”
IN-DEPTH 🔴 The key contract details of every Liverpool first-team player: Expiry dates, weekly wages, agents…
What’s the latest on Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold?
While Saunders’ calculations did not include Alisson, it’s fair to say Liverpool’s squad could indeed look entirely different over the coming years as several senior stars’ potentially near the Anfield exit door.
Certainly Liverpool have held a series of chats over the future of Konate, and while a new deal is on the table, sources have confirmed that the Frenchman is yet to put pen to paper. Speculation over a cut-price summer exit has seen the 22-times capped France defender linked with a summer move to Real Madrid.
As for Alisson, the Reds do have a big decision to make this summer, particularly having already brought in a long-term successor in the form of Giorgi Mamardashvili and with the Georgian due to arrive at Kirkby this summer, he has already made clear his intentions of claiming the Liverpool gloves on a regular basis.
However, Slot recently described Alisson as the best goalkeeper in the world after his Parc des Princes super-show against Paris Saint-Germain and having made his feelings clear over the Brazilian’s future.
As for Alexander-Arnold, there is still no confirmation over his seemingly nailed-on move to Real Madrid, and amid shock claims this week that he could yet stay at Anfield.
However, sources have told us the move still looks very likely to happen and with confirmation expected in the build-up to the final home game of the season at Anfield.
Our information also states that there is a confidence at Anfield that Van Dijk will also commit to a new deal; a belief recently backed up by both James Pearce and Fabrizio Romano. Our transfer insider Fraser Fletcher has revealed that a new contract was first put before the Dutchman way back in November.
As for Salah, there is also a growing belief that a deal has now been finalised for the Egyptian off the back of the greatest season yet of his Anfield career.
And after it was claimed that the forward is now to receive what he wants over a two-year deal, Pearce has explained all the kerfuffle around that photoshop the star was seen doing this week around the Liverpool waterfront.
Liverpool transfer latest: ‘Uncle’ tipped to sign; £95m double raid on?
With Van Dijk turning 34 over the summer and having been given a difficult evening by Everton striker Beto on Wednesday, it’s also understood that the Reds are putting some time into considering his long-term heir at Anfield.
To that end, sources have confirmed to us that the Reds are especially keen on Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen – and with a £50m exit clause in his deal, a £95m double raid on the Cherries is said to be progressing.
While that raid on the south coast looks good, another double raid elsewhere in the Premier League looks set to fall on deaf ears – with Brighton demanding a staggering £200m for two of their best players amid links to Liverpool.
Newcastle’s Alexander Isak also looks a tall order for the Reds after an expert named three big reasons why a daring raid on St James’ Park looks set to end in disappointment.
And finally, Slot is reportedly on course to sign a phenomenal central defender this summer,who oozes so much quality it’s claimed he ‘strolls around the pitch like an uncle’.
QUIZ: Test your knowledge on Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold