Three Liverpool stars waiting for contract talks as they enter final 18 months of current deal - Reports
Three important Liverpool players — Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold — have less than two years left on their contracts.
The Athletic's James Pearce recently spoke about the uncertainty regarding their contract extensions (via Liverpool Echo):
"There is plenty of uncertainty given three key senior players – Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold – are all inside the last 18 months of their current deals and are waiting for talks to commence."
However, Pearce noted that it may not be too easy to get the three superstars on new deals:
"They will want assurances about the direction the club is heading in before they commit their futures to Liverpool, and their bargaining position has arguably been strengthened by Klopp’s decision to leave in the summer."
Jurgen Klopp's exit in the summer means the contract extensions of their key players might be in the hands of the next manager. The trio have become leaders at Anfield, as both Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold serve as club captains, while Salah has arguably become one of the Reds' biggest legends. However, the Egyptian's future is particularly uncertain due to strong interest from Saudi Arabia.
Xabi Alonso tipped as top choice for Liverpool manager by Jamie Carragher
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes Xabi Alonso should be the next manager at Anfield. The former midfielder shared his thoughts on Sky Sports, where he talked about his old teammate:
"I would certainly say the frontrunner, and I think it's too rich me saying it, would certainly be Xabi Alonso - for the job he is doing at Bayer Leverkusen, who are still the only undefeated team in Europe in all competitions. There is a long way to go but they are in a great position."
He added:
"I think for what he has achieved, the managers he has played under, and the start he has made to his managerial career, he is certainly the frontrunner."
Currently, Xabi Alonso is doing a fantastic job at Bayer Leverkusen. Under his leadership, the team are on top of the Bundesliga. They have not lost in 18 matches (15 wins and three draws) and are one point clear of Bayern Munich.
Alonso has said he is happy at Leverkusen and is focused on achieving results with the German outfit. He made this comment after Jurgen Klopp announced his plans, but is still widely viewed as the tactician's successor at Merseyside.