Liverpool’s contract mess is about to get MUCH worse

It was described as sporting director Richard Hughes’ priority last summer.

The need to sort out contracts for Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk meant that incoming transfer business took a back seat at Liverpool.

READ MORE: Liverpool right-back CONFIRMS new deal

And while deals were eventually done at the last minute for Giorgi Mamardashvili and Federico Chiesa, Reds fans were frustrated at the inactivity all summer long.

That delay might have been acceptable had Hughes actually tied up new deals for the trio but Arne Slot went into his first season as head coach with contract doubts around his three most important players.

As we headed towards the January window, again it was described as Hughes’ priority to finally get these deals over the line. But Alexander-Arnold, Salah and Van Dijk have been entitled to speak to overseas clubs about pre-contract agreements since January 1 because no contract extensions have been finalised.

Due to the contract scenarios, Liverpool are NOT expected to move in the transfer market this January as Hughes’ focus lies elsewhere.

It means Slot will have to persist with the same squad of players he had in the first half of the season - a squad that only added Chiesa to its ranks last summer with Mamardashvili remaining on loan.

Liverpool 'don't know' what they need

And now comes the news that the contract uncertainty threatens to derail a THIRD transfer window for Liverpool.

The countdown is on with Liverpool now facing competition from other clubs for their own players. As such, while the priority remains to get the trio signed up for next season, Liverpool’s preparations for the summer window are already being affected.

In an item called the Transfer DealSheet on the Athletic, it’s revealed that the Reds currently don’t know what areas of the squad will need attention in the summer owing to the lack of clarity over Alexander-Arnold, Salah and Van Dijk.

“The situation currently is complicated by the fact that Liverpool don’t know exactly what gaps in the squad they will need to strengthen come the end of the season as contract talks with Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold rumble on,” the report states.

And so while Liverpool fans hope for top-quality players to be ADDED to the ranks - such as Nico Gonzalez for example - the reality is that Liverpool could end up replacing the superstars they are about to lose for nothing.

Getting in successors for Trent, Salah and Van Dijk in one window could prove to be an impossible - not to mention costly - endeavour. While Van Dijk’s future looks relatively secure, considerable doubts surround both Alexander-Arnold and Salah.

Let’s hope this is sorted sooner than later and Hughes and Co. can get on with forward planning.

READ MORE: Real Madrid transfer update could COMPLETELY change Trent Alexander-Arnold's future