Graeme Souness ‘would not be surprised’ if Liverpool lost two superstar players
'Would that surprise me? No.'
Graeme Souness admits he ‘would not be surprised’ if Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold both left Liverpool next summer.
The transition from Jurgen Klopp to Arne Slot could hardly have gone any better for Liverpool, who have taken 18 points from their opening seven games to climb to the top of the Premier League table.
Souness says Slot, who arrived from Dutch side Feyenoord over the summer, has been ’10 out of 10′ ahead of a ‘challenging run of fixtures’ after the international break which includes games against Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea.
While Liverpool are thriving on the pitch, Souness is ‘concerned’ by matters off it as three superstar players are coming to the end of their contracts.
Salah, Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk have all entered the final 12 months of their deals at Anfield, meaning they will be free to talk to other clubs come January 1.
Souness expects Van Dijk to extend his stay on Merseyside but ‘would not be surprised’ to see Salah and Alexander-Arnold secure moves elsewhere at the end of the season.
Salah has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia in recent years and put pressure on the Liverpool board earlier in the season by suggesting this would be his final year at the club.
Alexander-Arnold, meanwhile, has emerged as a target for Real Madrid, who are keen to bring the England star to the Bernabeu and let him team up with close friend Jude Bellingham.
‘One of the most fascinating football prospects just up ahead is the challenging run of fixtures that my old club Liverpool are about to face,’ Souness told the Daily Mail. ‘Chelsea, Arsenal, Brighton, Aston Villa and Manchester City in the space of six weeks.
‘In Arne Slot, they have a manager who for me has been a 10 out of 10, in the way he is building relationships with the players and handles the press.
‘The concern for Liverpool’s fans is that three players who really have proven themselves over time – Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk – are out of contract this summer. It’s barely two months until Christmas and in January they can talk to other clubs.
‘I can assure you Liverpool will have been talking to their representatives and by now will know what those guys are going to do, going forward.
‘I imagine the three of them will have made their minds up on what their plans are after this season.
‘Trent seems to have a relationship with Bellingham at Real Madrid. Would it surprise me if he ends up going there? No.
‘Would it surprise me if Virgil stayed? No. He is the one of the three I think is most likely to remain because at this moment in time, where is he going to go to get more money and a bigger football club?
‘He is an absolute Rolls Royce who looks like he is playing without even getting into fourth gear.
‘Would it surprise me if Salah stayed? Slightly. Because I think there would be huge appeal to him, as an Egyptian and a Muslim, in earning astronomical money for the next three or four years in Saudi Arabia, the cradle of Islam and a country which has a maritime border with his own.
‘The team are now going to get tested, mentally and physically. So, let’s see how they cope.
‘Let’s see how Arne deals with a few losses and how his demeanour will change – because I guarantee it will change. All of that lies ahead of them. Yes. What a prospect.’
Salah has developed into one of Liverpool’s greatest ever players since joining the Reds in 2017, scoring 217 goals in 359 appearances and helping the club win the Premier League and Champions League.
Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk are held in similar regard following their equally impressive and successful spells at Anfield.
Discussing his future at Liverpool after the 3-0 win over Manchester United in September, Salah said: ‘I had a good summer, I had a long time to try to think positive because as you know it’s my last year in the club.
‘I just want to enjoy it, I don’t want to think about it, but I I feel free to play football and we’ll see what can happen next year.’
The 32-year-old added: ‘To be fair I was coming to the game [thinking] it could be the last time [playing at Old Trafford].
‘Nobody in the club has talked to me yet about contracts, so okay I’ll play my last season and we’ll see at the end of the season. It’s not up to me.’
Following the international break, Liverpool return to action against Chelsea, who have also impressed this season to sit fourth under new manager Enzo Maresca.
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