Wright Pitches In on Liverpool’s Contract Drama Amid Big Losses

Ian Wright has delivered a pointed take on Liverpool’s ongoing contract uncertainties, focusing on three of the club’s pivotal players: Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold. With all three approaching the end of their current deals, Wright has suggested that while Salah and Van Dijk are likely to remain at Anfield, Alexander-Arnold’s future may lie elsewhere.

Salah and Van Dijk Set to Stay?

Appearing on The Kelly and Wrighty Show, Wright offered his perspective on the trio’s potential impact on Liverpool’s season and their contract situations.

“I think so,” Wright said when asked if Salah and Van Dijk’s ongoing contributions could help secure Liverpool the Premier League title. “Not so much with Alexander-Arnold.”

Wright believes Salah’s hunger to break records and Van Dijk’s strengthened leadership role under manager Arne Slot are strong incentives for them to stay. “I think Mo wants to continue breaking records, and I’m not sure Virgil would want to leave when he has a manager giving him more control. It doesn’t make sense that someone could prise him away.”

Salah’s remarkable performances this season have reaffirmed his importance to Liverpool’s ambitions. Meanwhile, Van Dijk’s resurgence has coincided with Liverpool’s push for silverware, making their retention crucial as the club navigates this pivotal moment.

Alexander-Arnold’s Real Madrid Links

The discussion took a sharper turn when Wright addressed Alexander-Arnold’s situation, citing the interest of European giants Real Madrid. “Trent, the fact is Real Madrid are linked with him, and he’s [already] won the league and the Champions League with Liverpool. It’s the kind of situation where we saw Michael Owen and Steve McManaman do it,” Wright said.

“Trent’s in a different position [to Steven Gerrard] because he has won things. He’s a hometown boy, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If someone was to ask me, I would say Trent probably leaves, but Mo and Van Dijk stay.”

With Alexander-Arnold having achieved considerable success at Liverpool, Wright suggested that the allure of a move to Madrid might prove irresistible for the 25-year-old. Such a departure would mark a significant loss for Liverpool, particularly given his local ties and status as a key creative force.

A Crucial Month Ahead

As January approaches, the stakes for Liverpool intensify. If contract extensions are not agreed upon, all three players will be free to negotiate with foreign clubs. For Liverpool, allowing such uncertainty to linger into the title run-in could prove costly.

The potential for disruption looms large, especially if clarity on the futures of Salah, Van Dijk, and Alexander-Arnold is not achieved by March. Liverpool.com highlighted the risk: “What Liverpool needs to avoid is a situation where nothing is resolved during a potential run-in at the end of the season. If we don’t know that Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold are all staying by March and Liverpool still leads the way in the Premier League table, that would be a distraction that everyone should be desperate to avoid at a crucial juncture.”

Liverpool’s handling of this contract drama will be critical not only to their long-term strategy but also to their chances of lifting the Premier League trophy.