Liverpool currently sit at the top of the Premier League but a grey cloud remains lingering above Anfield.
The uncertainty regarding the futures of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold remains.
The trio are all in their final year of their current Anfield contracts with all at risk of departing Merseyside as free agents next summer.
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The three stars will all be able to talk to foreign clubs regarding free transfers from as soon as January, piling pressure on Chief Executive Michael Edwards and Sporting Director Richard Hughes to find solutions.
Talks on potential replacements for three of Liverpool’s biggest names have already commenced with huge questions on who will fill the talismanic boots of Salah.
To say Salah has exceeded expectations since his arrival from Roma is nothing short of an understatement.
In 357 Liverpool outings, Egyptian has netted 216 times registering 91 assists.
Salah has been at the forefront of Liverpool’s successes under Jurgen Klopp, ending their wait to win a Premier League whilst also swooping all domestic trophies and winning the UEFA Champions League for a sixth time in the Reds’ illustrious history.
But the harsh reality is that there will be a time when Liverpool can’t look for Salah to get them their goals, and that could be as soon as next season.
Salah’s preference is believed to be to remain at Liverpool beyond the end of his current contract with the Egyptian’s media blitz after the Reds’ win at Old Trafford understood to be a well-constructed strategy to coax the club into offering him a new deal.
Who could Liverpool replace Salah with?
Liverpool are inevitably going to find themselves linked with multiple potential Salah successors with rumours already beginning to surface.
According to GOAL, the Reds are reportedly looking at AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic after an impressive start to the season for the Italian giants.
According to a CaughtOffside report, Liverpool are also looking at Athletic Bilbao and Spain star Williams and Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sane, who is out of contract at the Allianz Arena next summer.
Williams proved instrumental in Spain’s Euro2024 triumphs alongside fellow winger Lamine Yamal. However, the Spaniard predominantly operates on the left side of a front three, casting doubt over whether he is a suitable replacement for Salah.
As for Sane, the German has impressed at Bayern since departing Manchester City in 2020.
The 28-year-old offers rich Champions League and Premier League pedigree having been instrumental in the early years of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City reign.
Sane operates on the right side of an attack favouring cutting in onto his left foot - similar to Salah - and with him potentially being a free agent, a move for the German may be a low-risk high reward coup.