Liverpool’s decision-makers have quite the conundrum on their hands when it comes to extending the contracts of their three expiring stars.
The Merseysiders are currently poised to wave goodbye to three legendary figures of the Premier League and Champions League-winning Jurgen Klopp sides.
In fairness, Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah in particular have excelled in Arne Slot’s opening campaign in charge, with the Reds looking in fine nick in the title race.
However, as sports lawyer Daniel Geey already rightly highlighted, extending the terms of all three stars does risk upsetting the fine balance of Liverpool’s existing wage structure.
Can Liverpool justify the cost of new contracts?
Paul Scholes has backed Liverpool for a ‘massive window’ – should they fail to renew Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk’s contracts ahead of the summer.
“If they don’t renew them, it is going to be a massive window, isn’t it?” the former Manchester United midfielder spoke on The Overlap’s Fan Debate show.
“You were talking before about money to replace them – well, what are you looking at? You’re probably looking at £200m to replace them two.”
There is still hope of us sorting out extensions for perhaps our two biggest stars in the first XI, however, in light of how well the pair are looking after the bodies.
Centre-backs, of course, notoriously have a longer shelf life than their attacking teammates. That said, our Egyptian international seems to be in a similar mould to the likes of Cristian Ronaldo in being capable of extending his career at the highest level of the sport.
It’s a level of conditioning that hasn’t gone unnoticed by pundits observing the game from the outside.
“I think in our time, 35, that was it – you were done,” Scholes went on to add.
“But now you’re seeing players go into their 36s, 37s, 38s, 39s, 40s.
“It’s alright having all that info and data that you are talking about, but your eye has to see it as well. I’m sure Slot and his staff will be seeing them two training every day.
“You just look at the bodies, you look at them. What are they? 32 and 33? It looks to me like two years is not a problem.”
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