PAINFUL Van Dijk and Salah contract truth emerges

Liverpool are heading for a first Premier League title since 2020. But there are lingering doubts over several of their star players.

The uncertain futures of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold have cast a shadow over Arne Slot’s first season in charge.

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Van Dijk and Salah have been the Reds’ top performers this term with the Egyptian King emerging as a Ballon d’Or contender and the Dutch stopper demonstrating his class as the best centre-back in the world.

But Liverpool fans are coming face to face with the prospect that neither of them will be at the club beyond their contract expiration dates of June 2025.

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They have been entitled to talk to potentially interested overseas clubs since January 1 and there have been plenty of links to rival sides.

Van Dijk's situation in particular looks less clear-cut than it was back in late 2024. Anfield Watch reported that his Liverpool future was all but assured barring a late hitch. Has that hitch arrived?

Salah, 32, has been most closely linked with a move to Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia and the same team has now come forward with an offer to Van Dijk.

Al Hilal come forward

If it comes down purely to financial muscle then the Merseysiders do not stand a chance of matching what can be offered in the Saudi Pro League.

With Van Dijk rumoured to be the subject of a €20 million (£16.7m) annual deal - and Salah purported to be offered even more than that - the super-rich Al Hilal may well consider themselves in the driving seat.

Liverpool’s best chance of convincing the duo to stay is by building a team capable of sustaining challenges for top honours.

If they can persuade Salah and Van Dijk that Arne Slot is building something special then they may stick around towards the latter stages of their respective careers.

But there could be trouble afoot as it’s been claimed that neither Salah nor Van Dijk have been convinced by Liverpool’s efforts to get them signed to a new deal.

Salah and Van Dijk haven't signed Liverpool deals

In fact, Lewis Steele in the Daily Mail claims Liverpool have put offers towards Van Dijk and Salah but each of them has declined to sign.

“Whether they will sign on or not is a murky subject,” Steele writes. “Both have expressed frustration at the lack of progress made in talks.

“Offers have been put on the table for both but neither have accepted — so is there a conversation to be had over the fact that if they wanted to stay so badly, they should have just signed by now?”

It’s a good point.

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Surely FSG and sporting director Richard Hughes have done all they can from a financial standpoint to get their two highest-earners and two most important players to sign up for a new contract.

And if that’s not enough then we may have reached the end of the road.

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