Liverpool are going to have to make some big decisions over key players in the coming months.
With two weeks left of the season, Liverpool have had a year of progress under Jurgen Klopp. It may not have ended how we’d all hoped with the German, but it’s been better.
By and large, the first-team squad have all raised their level based on last season. Arne Slot looks set to take over a group who are primed to improve further still. It is a young squad on the whole.
Nevertheless, there are one or two older heads who’s future’s are in question. It now looks likely that Mohamed Salah will stay for what is currently the final year of his contract, which is great news.
Another who has 12 months to run on his deal is Virgil van Dijk, and no such assurances have yet been given over the captain’s long-term destiny. According to pundit Troy Deeney though, there’s another player Liverpool should be more worried about keeping.
Troy Deeney urges Arne Slot to keep Mo Salah
As Slot begins his time at Anfield over the summer, there’s plenty on his to-do list.
Some of that will pertain to the transfer market. Liverpool are said to be in for a new centre-back as well as an additional wide forward. There’s lots to do.
Besides that though, the futures of Salah, Van Dijk and indeed Trent Alexander-Arnold should be high on his list of priorities.
Speaking on TalkSPORT on Wednesday though, Deeney has claimed that ensuring Salah stays is the number one job for Slot. Asked by Alan Brazil who the Dutch manager should try and keep more out of his captain or star forward, Deeney opted for Salah.
“I would say you have to try and keep Salah, because replacing the goals and pace that he has is difficult,” said the 36-year-old.
“I think centre-half wise, Virg is 33 in the summer, so you have Matip, Konate and the young boy [Quansah], so potentially you could get one more and that would be an easier fix.”
Can Liverpool replace Virgil van Dijk
Although Deeney isn’t necessarily wrong here, he does kind of miss the point a bit.
Of course Liverpool could dip into the market for a centre-back, there are plenty of good ones out there. Willian Pacho is the latest to be reported as a ‘priority’ for the Reds.
But they could also go and get another left-footed wide forward. The likes of Johan Bakayoko spring to mind as possibilities.
In the cases of both Pacho and Bakayoko though, they would be clear downgrades. In Virgil’s case, you’re talking about replacing perhaps the best Premier League centre-back of all time. Liverpool should be doing everything they can to make sure he stays.
The 32-year-old had a great season and looks far from being finished. So, as important as Mo is, we’d actually argue that Van Dijk would be equally, if not more difficult to replace.
