Liverpool may have been knocked out of the Champions League and lost in the Carabao Cup final in successive games, but their season should still end in success, with the club heading into the international break with a twelve-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.
Liverpool’s successes and failures continue to be a major talking point, but so do the contract situations regarding three key players. But surely what happens between now and the end of the season dictates what happens next?
Still On Course For The Title
According to the current league table, pundits, experts, and Premier League betting online, the title is Liverpool’s to lose. And ultimately, players join and play for top clubs because they want to be title winners. You could kind of understand the feeling of uncertainty around the futures of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, and Mo Salah if Liverpool weren’t in the running, but with a twelve-point lead, it looks like the club should be picking up the second Premier League crown in their illustrious history.
Success is, after all, something that a club wants, and it’s also something players want, right? If Liverpool had been one of the handful of teams battling for a top-four finish and in with a chance of winning one of the domestic trophies, then you could kind of understand why the Reds could be willing to move on from ageing stars such as Van Dijk and Salah, and why the players themselves would be willing to seek a new challenge. However, this isn’t how the season is playing out.
Performed Well On All Fronts
Liverpool have been by far and away the best Premier League team for the entirety of the season, very much out on their own. They finished top of the Champions League group in the new format, only losing out in the last 16 to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties. They also made the Carabao Cup final, narrowly losing to Newcastle United in the final at Wembley Stadium 2-1. While exiting the Champions League and losing in the Carabao Cup final are disappointments, Liverpool have performed well across most competitions this season, and this has all come in Arne Slot’s first season as manager.
In the past, teams have struggled when iconic managers such as Klopp have left, an example of this being when Sir Alex Ferguson retired as manager of Manchester United. Such a change can also leave star players waiting to see how the club fares under a new manager, but in this scenario, Liverpool have enjoyed a more fruitful campaign this term than they did under Klopp in 2023/24, so the signs are good, which is another reason why you’d imagine there will be a willingness from the club and the players in question to continue together for the time being when the title is secured.
It Makes Sense
The club already know that in Trent Alexander-Arnold, they have a homegrown superstar on their hands who is one of the best right-backs in the world. So, unless the Liverpudlian wants to move on to a team like Real Madrid, tying him down for the foreseeable makes sense. And, the same will apply to Van Dijk, who continues to perform and a high level and lead the team, and Salah, whose goals and assists have been instrumental this season.
For the players themselves, you’re at a club that is seen as Premier League champions in waiting and looking like a rejuvenated group under Slot. Why would you want to be anywhere else right now? Financially, yes, there could be more lucrative deals out there, but this Liverpool side continues to look like a team that can challenge for silverware consistently as time goes on.
Conclusion
The conversations surrounding the futures of Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, and Salah, continue to be had, with fans more than anyone keen to know if the trio, or some of the trio, will be playing their football at Anfield next season. The hope is that all three will be because they’ve all been integral to how well Liverpool have done this season.
Liverpool were good in Klopp’s final campaign as manager, but they’ve somehow managed to climb to another level this season, and they’ve quite comfortably been the best team in English football, with their 12-point lead at the top of the Premier League table evidence of their dominance.
It’s a case of when and not if Liverpool collect their second Premier League trophy in their history. And when it’s confirmed, this should surely dictate what happens where Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, and Salah are concerned. The club will be title winners again, and so would the trio of players, why wouldn’t they want to continue together, even for a short time longer?
