Liverpool’s reliance on Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah is going to be increasingly under the microscope the longer they remain unsigned, having been key again this season.
The Reds find themselves only 16 points away from another Premier League title but the three players without a contract for next season continue to cast a shadow over the season.
They were key pillars under Jurgen Klopp and remain that way in Arne Slot‘s debut season, with the trio in the top six for the most minutes played across all competitions.
• READ: Carragher has new Salah contract worry – “A sign of things to come?”
After more than eight years of sharing a pitch, they have what some may describe as a telepathic connection with one another, knowing where each other will be and when to receive the ball.
Beyond that, though, they are crucial pieces of the puzzle when it comes to Liverpool progressing the ball up the pitch, as a graphic from StatsBomb exemplifies – which we have isolated below:
The graphic looks at Liverpool’s most commonly played passes in open play buildup throughout the Premier League season, and it shows an obvious nod to Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk and Salah.
The ball is more readily progressed up the pitch via the right flank (yellow, Alexander-Arnold) and creates opportunities in attack on the right wing (purple, Salah).
Van Dijk and Slot’s other central players all show a trend of pushing the ball to the right, which is in no way a surprise considering Salah’s potency – he has 27 goals and 17 assists in the league.
Which contract is the priority for Liverpool to sort?
Mo Salah
Virgil van Dijk
Trent Alexander-Arnold
It is obvious then why Liverpool struggled in the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle as Jarell Quansah does not offer the same progression qualities as Alexander-Arnold, few do.
Salah ended Sunday’s game with just 23 touches and only one in the opposition box, a direct result of being isolated as the passing lanes Alexander-Arnold can identify could not be taken advantage of.
The graphic shows the reliance on three key players who may or may not be here next season, but also how Slot can see it evolve with transfers and time on the training pitch in pre-season.
