Liverpool wary after ‘alarming’ situation at Manchester City
Kieran Maguire believes Liverpool are wary of Manchester City’s “alarming” developments regarding the ongoing contract situations at Anfield.
Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold are in the final months of their contracts, with the latter expected to complete a move to Real Madrid at the end of the season [Sacha Tavolieri].
While the others are mooted to remain at Anfield beyond the current season, Maguire appeared on the talkSPORT Transfer Notebook podcast (27 January, 20:09) and shared why developments at Manchester City are impacting the developments on Merseyside.
He said: “I think FSG take a very, very forensic approach as Liverpool’s owners, and they do more homework than probably any other club in the Premier League.
“They are concerned that if they offer the players, let’s say, a two [year] plus one deal, especially in the case of van Dijk and Mo Salah, that they could end up in a situation perhaps we have seen at Manchester City in the past few months, where some of their more senior players, their form has shown an alarming dip.
“And if you’ve got those players who are on three or four hundred thousand pounds a week, you’ve committed yourself for another year or perhaps another two years.”
Liverpool must stop playing with fire
Maguire exclusively told Liverpool News on 21 January the latest surrounding FSG’s bid for the Boston Celtics.
Therefore, the football finance expert’s opinion holds weight, and his latest revelation is a serious concern for the Reds’ faithful.
Indeed, Manchester City’s fall off this year can be attributed to senior players such as Kyle Walker, who recently left for AC Milan, suffering a severe drop off in performance levels.
However, Pep Guardiola does not boast players of Van Dijk and Salah’s quality in his side, who are still performing at the highest level in their respective positions well into their twilight years.
Furthermore, their influence on the dressing room cannot be understated and will be pivotal in helping to shape the next generation of talent at the AXA Training Centre.
Sometimes, the most important decisions in football must be made purely from a sporting perspective with no financial influence – FSG cannot afford to allow Van Dijk and Salah to leave in 2025.
Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes would need to fork out hundreds of millions to replace the pair – extending their deals for a fraction of the cost is the logical move and most beneficial for Liverpool.
In other Liverpool news, Reds fans were buzzing after a transfer target was “spotted at Anfield”.
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