Liverpool players Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah all face an uncertain future at the club.
They have entered the final year of their contract at Anfield and their long term future at the club has still not been sorted.
The Reds would want all the three players to stay at the club and support new manager Arne Slot in the brilliant work he is currently doing at Anfield but the players may have other things on their mind regarding their future.
Alexander-Arnold has been linked with a move to Real Madrid while the Saudi Pro League have intentions to sign Salah and make him the face of the league.
Liverpool legend Mark Lawrenson has opened up on who he feels will stay at the club and who will leave.
Lawrenson feels Alexander-Arnold might be heading out of the club to play with his friend Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid and the club’s priority should be keeping Van Dijk.
He said, as reported by Liverpool.com:
“Van Dijk is the most important player to sign. He’s the rock of the defence, sorts out the dressing room, all those kinds of things. Still a top, top player. And then I would go with Salah after him.
“I think Trent will let his contract run out. I think the world knows, and it’s probably the worst-kept secret in the world, that his big mate (Jude Bellingham) plays for Real Madrid. He’s an intelligent boy, very well schooled, etc. He might just turn around and go, ‘you know what boys, I’m going to go and play in Spain’. Because why not?
“Because don’t they win the Champions League every year, to widen your horizons, all those other kinds of things. It’s only a gut thing but I hear it more and more often now that they might have already had a conversation. So I wouldn’t be surprised. And Conor Bradley looks like he’s going to be a really good player as well in Trent’s position. So it wouldn’t be the end of the world, would it?”
Alexander-Arnold has been in fine form this season and Slot has improved the defensive aspect of his game.
He is a key member of the starting line up at the club and it would be a major blow for the Reds to lose him and that too as a free agent.
By the start of January, the Liverpool defender will be able to negotiate a pre-agreement contract with any other club and that would put the Merseyside club in a weak position.
Perhaps Lawrenson knows something that we don’t know about the future of the Reds star but one thing is clear, with every passing week, the probability of Alexander-Arnold leaving the club is increasing.
Can Liverpool replace Trent Alexander-Arnold?
He is a special player who helps the team tick and contributes in the attacking third while playing in defense.
His set-piece taking ability is one of the best in the league and currently the Reds would struggle without him in that area.
Conor Bradley is a decent back up but he would need time to improve his game and come close to playing like Alexander-Arnold.