Mohamed Salah to sign Liverpool contract extension - Paul Merson

Liverpool will have done a "brilliant" job if they manage to extend two out of their three out-of-contract stars, according to Paul Merson.

Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold have six months left on their current deals at Anfield and can negotiate a free transfer with foreign clubs for the summer.

The latter has been the subject of an official approach from Real Madrid on 31 December, which the Reds firmly rebuffed. [Andy Hunter]

In his weekly predictions article for Sportskeeda (3 January) Merson gave his verdict on the trio's future, saying: “When do Real Madrid go for someone and they don't get him? So I expect him [Alexander-Arnold] to leave.

“It looks like Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk will end up renewing their contracts. I personally thought they would lose all three of them, but if they get Salah and Van Dijk to sign extensions, that is still brilliant.”

Liverpool shouldn't have let it get to this point

To have three of your best players available to talk to foreign clubs about a pre-contract agreement is a shambles.

The Reds should never have let it get to this point and a serious amount of blame needs to be pointed the way of the Anfield hierarchy that it ever did.

Losing all three without even bringing in a fee would be a disaster on and off the pitch for Arne Slot's side.

The whole situation has the potential to distract the Reds during a vital point in the season where they are fighting to win the Premier League title and the Champions League in Slot's first season in charge.

If Merson is right and the older duo stay while Alexander-Arnold leaves, it would be positive but it would also hurt supporters as the 26-year-old is a local lad who emerged from the academy and rose to stardom.

However, keeping two of the three despite letting it get to this stage would be considered a victory to some extent.

In other Liverpool news, the Reds have been dealt a blow in their search for an eventual Salah successor.

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