Football contracts are some of the most unique in all of professional sports and they can be exhausting when trying to sift through release clauses, expirations and incentives. Today, we are going to look at some of the biggest contract questions and try and predict what the club will do.
Virgil Van Dijk (Expires Summer 2025)
At 32, the Liverpool Captain is in some of the best form of his career. He is arguably still one of, if not the best, defenders in the world.
He currently earns £220,000 a week on his deal at Anfield. His rapid rise back to the top of the game following the gruesome knee injury he suffered is a great sign for his future. Any talks of lingering issues have subsided and he has been crucial once again this season.
Having been named Captain, it's hard to see him leaving anytime soon.
Prediction: 2-year extension
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Expires Summer 2025)
Trent has been in sparkling form for awhile now. His transition to one of the leaders in this side has been astonishing and is enough to make any warm-blooded Reds supporter proud.
He brings a dynamic to the pitch that no other player can for Jurgen Klopp. He is just now on the cusp of entering his prime so it's almost laughable to believe the club would sanction his departure anytime soon.
He's going to be an integral piece of the "Liverpool 2.0" puzzle for a long time. I am excited to see how high he can take his game.
Prediction: Long-term extension
Mohamed Salah (Expires Summer 2025)
This is an interesting case. Salah signed a massive extension worth £350,000 per week in the summer of 2022. Since then, he has continued to be the talisman at the club as he has been scoring and creating goals for fun.
Last summer, things became a bit murkier with the Saudi Pro League making a massive push for the Egyptian star.
Liverpool resisted the temptation to cash in and have been rewarded by his stellar play once again. However, the Saudi Pro League will come calling again this summer with even bigger offers. If Liverpool were to cash in, it would make the most sense to do it this summer.
Prediction: Either a 2-year extension or he is sold this summer
Andy Robertson (Expires Summer 2026)
Robertson, who is nearing a return from a tough shoulder injury, would probably be the next name of players to consider contracts.
When his current deal expires, he will be 30 years old and have a lot of tread on his tires due to the nature of his playing style and the success of the club.
However, he is still one of the most vital players for Klopp as we have seen in his absence with no clear cut replacements for the long-term future. If he can stay fit going forward, that should go a long way to making the decision for the Reds brass.
Either way, a younger understudy to Robbo is a must going forward for Liverpool.
Prediction: Hold for now, when time comes 2 or 3-year extension