It seems a long way off and unlikely to happen, but what if Liverpool lose all three of their 'contract trio' this summer?
Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all out of contract at the end of the season and deals have yet to be agreed for any of the three players. We now know how badly Real Madrid want to sign Alexander-Arnold, while Salah hasn't been shy about reminding everyone that little progress has been made on his deal.
Van Dijk said on Sunday he has “no update” and then Salah posted a cryptic photo of the trio on social media to further increase speculation. What we do know is that if Liverpool lose any of the three players, they will be missed for a variety of reasons.
But what would the Reds look like if they lost all three? Mirror Football takes a look…
Well, this is the most obvious one to predict whether the right-back will choose to leave for Real Madrid in the summer. Liverpool have a ready-made replacement in Conor Bradley. He can intervene when necessary and he showed that this season with a great performance against Real Madrid.
There is little doubt that if Alexander-Arnold were to leave, he would be the obvious replacement. Liverpool will have to delve into the market to find a backup right-back, but financially that wouldn't be a huge outlay compared to finding a first-choice player.
They could opt for experience or someone with versatility to play at the back, or perhaps a young player from abroad who could develop at the club.
This is trickier because if Alexander-Arnold also leaves, the Reds would lose their captain and vice-captain at once. But losing Van Dijk at the back would be a huge blow and investment would have to be made to find a replacement.
Liverpool have Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah, with all three suitable partners for the Dutch defender. But Reds sporting director Richard Hughes should show his skills in the transfer market.
Liverpool wouldn't be able to sign someone as good as Van Dijk straight away; Whoever they get, they hope to develop into a defender of similar class. Tottenham's Micky van de Ven was once strongly linked with the Reds, but they never made a move for him before he joined Spurs and he would now be an unlikely target.
The Reds are obviously still very much hoping that Van Dijk agrees to new terms, but they will be actively looking at targets to ensure they are ready to strike if he does not sign.
How can you replace the irreplaceable? You simply cannot. Liverpool will not be looking for an equal replacement for the Egyptian king because there is none. But what they will be in the market for – if he leaves – is unearthing a player like the one they acquired from Roma in 2017.
Many mocked the Reds for paying more than £32 million for a player who had struggled at Chelsea, but Michael Edwards, who now runs football operations at Liverpool, saw the figures that suggested there was a real hidden gem there. How he turned out to be one.
Liverpool's job will be to find the next one. Federico Chiesa is a player who can play on the right, but his £10 million signing in the summer is far from becoming a bargain.
Although Harvey Elliott is a young Liverpool player who has fulfilled that role, he is yet to gain real momentum in his Anfield career to suggest he can be a regular starter there. Salah's wages could be distributed to help strengthen other areas, but Liverpool again have no intention of letting him go for free.
If the unlikely happens and all three go, then the summer will be a huge window for Hughes and Edwards, which could define their time at the club.
Comments