Pundit urges Liverpool to make 'critical' decision on 'quarter of a billion pound' player trio

Following Mohamed Salah’s post-match comments about his future, speculation has resurfaced and he is once again one of the main names in the headlines. The winger is now well into the last 12 months of his contract, alongside Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Salah dropped an honest statement regarding his current situation at Liverpool following their 3-0 win over Manchester United last weekend. The 32-year-old admitted he had approached the game with the mindset of ‘it could be the last time’, before admitting ‘nobody at club’ has discussed his contract with him yet.

Salah has acknowledged that this could well be his last season at Anfield, based on his current situation. This has sparked discussion over whether Liverpool will see him run down his contract or try to tie him down with a new deal. The same applies to Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold, who will also become free agents next summer unless some drastic changes.

Following Salah’s comments, Football Insider swiftly reported that the Reds are going to ‘open talks’ with their star forward ‘soon’ over a potential extension. However, until the club announces any official news, rumours and speculation will continue to swirl.

Many fans and professionals have had their say on the trio’s current contract situation and Ally McCoist is one of the latest to air his opinion. Speaking to talkSPORT, the pundit has urged Liverpool to take action and tie down all three players in question to new contracts before the risk of them all leaving for free becomes too real.

“It’s critical Liverpool sign Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk to new deals before the end of the season. There is a cloud of uncertainty around the future of all their best players due to their contract situations and it needs clarification sooner rather than later,” he stressed.

“For me, Liverpool cannot allow their contracts to run down — the club will end up kissing goodbye to upwards of a quarter of a billion pounds in player value and three of the main players to turn the club into what it is today — that does not make business sense.

“As a Liverpool fan, you'd want to know what's going on with your best players and I’m sure the supporters will want some clarity on it. Ideally, you'd want all three to sign new deals — they’re irreplaceable for Liverpool. At the very least, getting them to sign a new contract means that the club will receive the money they are worth to them. They cannot be allowed to leave the club for nothing.”