Liverpool are “optimistic” about agreeing a new contract with star forward Mohamed Salah and are also “confident” they will tie Virgil van Dijk down to a fresh deal, a new report states.
The unrelenting speculation surrounding three of his key players has posed more issues for Arne Slot than most Premier League teams this season. The Reds sit 12 points clear at the top-flight’s summit but are still on course to lose Salah, Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold to free transfers this summer.
Of the three potential departees, Salah’s exit would arguably be the most damaging – at least in the short term. The 32-year-old has either scored or created 44 Premier League goals this season – 64% of Liverpool’s entire total. No other team in the division can come close to that level of attacking dependency upon one player.
Salah has peppered his record-breaking campaign with a flurry of pointed remarks about his future, repeatedly stressing that this will be his “last season” at Liverpool if no changes to the current contract offer are made.
However, despite this public perception of frustration, The Athletic‘s David Ornstein claims that Liverpool “have been optimistic for some time” that a resolution will be struck as both the club and player want to continue working together.
Talks are said to be “moving in a positive direction” and the report also revealed that rumours of interest from Saudi Arabia and Paris Saint-Germain were met with “immediate and firm denials”.
PSG have also been tipped to make a move for Salah’s teammate Van Dijk. The Dutchman was spotted in conversation with club president Nasser Al Khelaifi and sporting advisor Luis Campos after Liverpool were knocked out of the Champions League by the French champions. PSG media director Pascal Ferry was quick to downplay the suggestion that this chat had any deeper meaning and Ornstein followed the same line.
The Athletic claim that Liverpool “remain confident” Van Dijk will extend his contract this summer.
Alexander-Arnold was conspicuous by his absence in the report. The youngest of the trio is said to be on the bring of completing his much-anticipated move to Real Madrid in the summer, with just his signature missing from the contract.
