The IMPACT Van Dijk and Salah contract renewals will have on Liverpool

This week has brought with it fresh optimism that at long last Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk will renew their Liverpool contracts.

The contract issue has been a sideshow in the Reds’ season, with Arne Slot’s side looking good to win the Premier League title despite a setback last week at Fulham.

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It was described as a priority for new sporting director Richard Hughes last summer, with Trent Alexander-Arnold’s terms also expiring in summer 2025.

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But as the months ticked by, fans grew less and less confident that any one of the three expiring superstars would be staying at the club.

Salah said in November that he was more likely to leave than remain. Van Dijk had been insistent right up to last Sunday that he had no idea where he’d be playing next season.

Trent, we shall treat as a lost cause given his apparent proximity to Real Madrid at this stage.

But finally it seems there’s been a breakthrough.

What do Salah and Van Dijk renewals mean for Liverpool

Van Dijk’s positive words last weekend were followed by a cascade of stories claiming that Salah, too, was close to announcing a renewal. It is likely the duo will get two-year deals, taking them up to 2027.

So what does it all mean?

The block on the contracts meant that Hughes and head coach Arne Slot did not know whether or not a new starting left-sided centre-back or a high-quality right winger would be required in the upcoming transfer window.

If Van Dijk and Salah are staying then the high-cost chases for those two positions can be deferred. Instead, funds can be ploughed into the priority positions already needing attention - namely No9 and left-back.

Both players have performed at world-class levels this season, although some ordinary form in the last few weeks gives a certain pause for thought.

But the fact is, if they are getting new contracts, decision-makers at Liverpool believe they’ve still got the consistency and durability to make a positive impact on the pitch.

The going rate for replacements is out of hand

How much would it cost to go out and buy replacements for them in the current market?

Consider strikers like Alexander Isak are being quoted at £150 million and central defenders like Piero Hincapie could go for over £70m.

Signing Salah and Van Dijk up for another contract might well prove to be the most financially savvy option available to the club at present.

Plus, these two already have a presence that counts for a lot. They are the emblems of the Jurgen Klopp era, having seen and done it all including winning the Champions League and Premier League once before.

As far as standard-bearers go, Liverpool couldn’t do any better. With Van Dijk and Salah on the roster, Liverpool’s younger players and new recruits will be in no doubt as to what is required to succeed at Anfield.

Are Salah and Van Dijk taking more than their fair share?

Yes, there is an element of risk given their ages and the fact that they are commanding more than half a million pounds between them each week.

Salah is currently earning £350,000 while Van Dijk rakes in £220,000. But Liverpool clearly have sufficient evidence that their form is sustainable.

That said, there will be less money to spend on other renewals. It is doubtful whether the club could have afforded new contracts for all three of Trent, Van Dijk and Salah on their preferred terms.

And now renewals for Ibrahima Konate and others could become more strained since Salah and Van Dijk are eating more than their fair share of the budget.

FSG have not got a salary reset either which would have happened had three of their four top earners left the club - Alisson Becker being the exception.

Losing Van Dijk, Salah and Trent would have been a blow but long term it would have no doubt helped get an excessive wage bill back under control. Now, the threshold hasn’t budged.

Let the celebrations begin

Let’s focus on the positives.

Liverpool, despite their success this season, had been operating under a cloud of sorts. That has cleared away now.

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They know that Salah and Van Dijk will be in situ next season and have bought time when it comes to succession planning.

We are now awaiting the final confirmation that Salah and Van Dijk will sign their new contracts. And then the celebrations can begin again.