'There could be further change' - David Ornstein drops key Liverpool trio contract claim amid possible exit

With hindsight, Liverpool used the Premier League success of last season to rip up what had been a successful blueprint to start again.

Not only were the full-backs changed, but Arne Slot saw two no.9s and a no.10 arrive with the biggest hint yet that they were preparing for life after Mohamed Salah by changing formation. As the Reds boss has already lamented, he has rarely been able to get his three big-money summer signings on the pitch at the same time. There is only a small chance that they will be seen on the same pitch again this season too.

Liverpool turn attention to new contracts

One thing that Liverpool will be working on behind the scenes is to tie up the players who they feel that they can be successful with onto new contracts. Ryan Gravenberch has committed his future with David Ornstein telling The Athletic FC about who could be next: “I know people hated the phrase sort of transition, but especially when Liverpool had come from a position of such strength and success, but that's literally what it was when you have the volume of signings. And many fans and non-Liverpool observers would say they should have done much better in blending it together immediately. And that's a valid opinion.

“But I suspect, and there could be further change, what's going to happen with Mohamed Salah? He'll be going into his final year. So will Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Ibrahima Konate's contract. Which I think there's constructive conversation around that one. I do think there is still a will on both sides, player and club, to try and find an agreement. It's not there yet, but the conversations, from what we hear, are continuing and are pretty cordial.

“There'll be decisions. We've seen Gravenberch renew. What's going to happen with Alexis Mac Allister? Even though it's quite early with his contract, there's a potential contract for Szoboszlai. There's been some reports in some places. So, lots of different things going on here.”

Lesson that Liverpool need to learn

What Liverpool have to get right, as they did reluctantly with Luis Diaz, is learn to sell at the right time. With two years left on his contract and wanting a bumper pay rise despite approaching his 30s, last summer was the perfect time to sell and the Colombian was still at a level where Bayern Munich were happy to pay in the region of £65m for a proven player. It was a different scenario with Jarell Quansah but Richard Hughes at least managed to get a buy-back clause inserted into the deal.

Extending Salah’s deal last year means that Liverpool should profit this summer, however, negotiations with Ibrahima Konate shouldn’t have been allowed to continue for over 18-months. If the initial gap between the player’s demands and what the club were willing to pay was too big, they should have sold him and then moved on. It isn’t fantasy football to suggest that Konate could have been sold and Marc Guehi signed to replace him. Szoboszlai isn’t quite at that point but if Mac Allister has shown any indication that he isn’t in a hurry to sign a new deal, clubs should already have been alerted to his availability.