Robbie Fowler names which one of Salah, Trent or Van Dijk he wants Liverpool to secure ‘quickly’

Robbie Fowler has had his say on the contract situations of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah.

As every Liverpool fans will surely be aware, all three see their current deals expire next June, with the Reds at risk of losing 60% of the defined ‘leadership group’ next summer, including both the captain and vice-captain.

In his column for The Mirror on Sunday, the Toxteth legend wrote that there may be a ‘temptation’ for Anfield chiefs to ‘cash in’ on two of that trio, but insisted that there’s one of them who the club must retain as a matter of urgency.

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Fowler stated: “‌I understand that both Salah and Van Dijk are in their 30s now so there must be some temptation to cash in as time ticks down on their contracts. Keeping both has been a big statement of intent.

“Alexander-Arnold’s future has to be sorted as quickly as possible. Trent is the kind of player I just can’t visualise wearing the shirt of another club.”

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It’s a growing concern that Liverpool have left the contracts of three of their most important players run this close to expiring, with supporters understandably on tenterhooks as to the futures of the established trio.

We’d be inclined to agree with Fowler that sorting Trent’s future is the priority, given that he’s still only 25 yet is already a genuine leader in this team and, similar to Steven Gerrard, could well be the beating heart of the side for many years if he stays at Anfield.

With Salah and Van Dijk having turned 32 and 33 respectively this summer and being the Reds’ two highest earners on a combined £570,000 per week (Capology), we can understand why some observers would lean towards a pragmatic decision to accept any offers which come this year for two men who are well into the autumn of their careers.

However, the Egyptian winger and Dutch defender continue to be enormous figures for Liverpool, and while many players evidently regress as their mid-30s swing into view, both are still performing to a very high standard and would be massive losses if they were sold during Arne Slot’s first season in charge.

Here’s hoping that Anfield chiefs can entice all three to sign contract extensions sooner rather than later, so that any nerves over losing them on a free transfer next year are finally put to rest.

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