'Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk will play for Liverpool next season'

03/21/2025 04:30 PM

Liverpool simply won’t allow Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk to follow Trent Alexander-Arnold out of the club, says a “confident” former Red.

Jermaine Pennant though is convinced that at least two of those three will still be at Anfield next season, despite their deals being due to expire in the summer.

Talismanic attacker Salah raised questions over his Liverpool future with his reaction to their Champions League defeat to PSG earlier this month.

Liverpool fans were also concerned about Van Dijk after he was spotted speaking to executives from the French champions after that game.

Meanwhile, Alexander-Arnold is being heavily linked Real Madrid, with some suggestions he has already signed a pre-contract agreement with the Spanish champions.

Yet despite all that, Pennant is still confident that the Reds will be able to keep more than one of their key trio on Merseyside beyond this summer.

Jermaine Pennant makes Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk contract predictions

While the trio are all stalwarts at Liverpool, this season has been the start of a new era at Anfield, with Arne Slot taking over from Jurgen Klopp as manager.

That looks set to be marked by a second Premier League title for the club, although losing three players as important as Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold for free would put a dampener on that.

But while Pennant admits he could see the latter leaving Liverpool, he remains optimistic about the futures of Salah and Van Dijk.

Speaking on talkSPORT about the contract situations of the trio, the former Reds midfielder said: “This is Klopp’s team, they’ve been there eight or ten years, so sometimes you see a key player go player, you know Harry Kane from Spurs, it happens.

“But there’s no way a team like Liverpool will let all three of those key players of those key players go.”

Presenter Hugh Woozencroft then noted things might be out of their hands depending on what other offers come in and that they could leave if handed a “better, more lucrative contract”.

In response, Pennant said: “I’m confident. I could see Trent going, but I am very confident I am going to see Virgil and Salah playing in a red shirt next season”.

Liverpool may settle for keeping Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk

Football Insider Verdict

With the likes of Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota failing to fire, the remarkable form of Salah in front of goal has been vital to the success of Slot’s side this season.

Similarly, the commanding presence and awareness of van Dijk at the back has been just as important in keeping Liverpool solid in defence.

It therefore feels vital that the duo are kept at Anfield for next season, giving they are still two lynchpins they can build the team along, which may be key to building on their current success.

By contrast, Alexander-Arnold has left Liverpool fans unimpressed by some of his performances this season, where he has not been as reliable as in the past.

As a result there may be something of a sense that they can afford to lose Alexander-Arnold more than they can the other two, not least with the emergence of Conor Bradley at right-back as well.

With that in mind, there may be some of a Liverpool persuasion who will be reasonably satisfied if this prediction from Pennant does prove to be accurate.

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