Ranking the Klopp signings at Liverpool most likely to leave next as Slot faces Salah conundrum

After one of the wildest transfer windows in their history, Liverpool’s squad is still settling – and although it has more of an Arne Slot flavour now, there are still some embers from the Jurgen Klopp era before.

Slot won the Premier League title last season principally with the squad Klopp left him, but was backed to a degree never seen before on Merseyside this summer with an influx of new players. Meanwhile, some players who made their names in the Klopp era – academy graduates like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Caoimhin Kelleher, and signings like Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz – departed.

There are still 11 players in the current Liverpool squad who were signed while Klopp was the manager (plus some others who were promoted from the academy during his tenure), but which of those will be the next in line to leave?

We’ve ranked them from the most likely to leave next, to the least.

1. Calvin Ramsay

Signed from Aberdeen in 2022, Ramsay only played twice under Klopp and has still never got to make his Premier League debut.

The right-back had loan spells with Wigan Athletic and Kilmarnock last season, but is back at Liverpool this season – and playing in the under-21s.

But Ramsay is already 22 and looks unlikely to be able to build on the potential Liverpool thought they were investing in.

Jeremie Frimpong joined this summer as a new right-back to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold, while Conor Bradley has emerged as the preferred stand-in option there.

Ramsay remains under contract with Liverpool until the end of next season, but it would make sense for all parties for him to find another opportunity elsewhere (and in senior football) at the earliest chance.

2. Andy Robertson

A far more popular Scottish full-back for Liverpool in his prime, Robertson began to suffer from a decline in form last season, leading to the signing of Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth in the summer.

Kerkez has struggled to get going, but has still earned the larger bulk of gametime ahead of vice-captain Robertson.

Out of contract at the end of the season and still one of Liverpool’s best-paid players, it might not be sustainable for the 31-year-old to stay unless on significantly altered terms.

3. Ibrahima Konate

It was clear that Liverpool were thinking about some defensive adjustments this summer when they signed Giovanni Leoni, and even more so when they tried to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace on deadline day.

Although Leoni is now out with a long-term injury and Guehi didn’t arrive – with the England international set to view his future with a clean slate rather than giving Liverpool any preferential treatment – it does lead to questions of where Konate lies in the Reds’ future visions.

Out of contract at the end of the season, Konate has been linked with a move away as a free agent, with contract renewal talks not progressing as it was initially expected they would.

If Liverpool are able to sign a new starting centre-back in 2026, it could be time to move on from Konate, who has been beset by occasional injury issues since his 2021 move from RB Leipzig.

4. Mohamed Salah

Last season, the storyline off the pitch was largely about whether Salah would sign a new contract with Liverpool. Ultimately, he did – the most lucrative deal in the club’s history.

But whereas he was in the form of his life while aiming for that new deal, he has so far struggled to meet the same standards this season.

Slot dropped Salah for Liverpool’s Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt and some pundits have agreed it was the right course of action. But where does that leave Salah’s future?

Liverpool have received huge bids for Salah before from the Saudi Pro League and some sources have wondered whether they would look more favourably on those kind of bids if they were to be resurrected.

But if Liverpool can get one of their best ever goalscorers firing again, those voices will be pushed back into the distance.

Still, at 33 years of age, Salah is presumably past the halfway point and probably three-quarter point of his Liverpool career.

GO FURTHER: Chances of Mo Salah leaving Liverpool revealed after benching as pundits disagree over Slot axing

5. Wataru Endo

Endo eventually earned Slot’s trust by the end of last season as an enforcer to help see out games, after previously being shown more faith by Klopp upon his surprise 2023 arrival.

The Japan midfielder has two years left on his contract, but Liverpool paid a relatively steep £16m to sign him from Stuttgart and might view next year as their last chance to recoup some of that fee.

They will have to determine if his value in helping them see out games is more important. But, due to be 33 years old by the end of the season, Endo isn’t going to be around Anfield forever.

6. Alisson Becker

Liverpool have a clear succession plan in place for their goalkeeping department after signing Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia to compete with Alisson.

The Georgia international isn’t just a backup option there to sit on the bench; he arrived as one of the highest-rated keepers in LaLiga.

One day, Mamardashvili will likely succeed Alisson as Liverpool’s first-choice goalkeeper. But for now, the Brazilian remains under contract until 2027 and one of the very best in the world in his position.

Fairly injury prone for a keeper, though, Liverpool have a future without Alisson in the back of their minds and might have mixed feelings about extending his deal.

Last summer, Alisson vowed he wanted to honour his contract, which has an option to extend until 2027. More recently, he has also reiterated a desire to return to his former club Internacional back in Brazil one day, so there seems to be a mutual understanding that his and Liverpool’s paths will diverge one day before the end of his career.

7. Dominik Szoboszlai

Doubts were raised over Szoboszlai’s Liverpool future when they completed the (briefly) club-record signing of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in June.

No longer a guaranteed starter in attacking midfield, the Hungarian is having to adapt to either a deeper midfield role or even play as a right-back.

He’s done a respectable job wherever he has deputised, but in the long run, he may have to settle somewhere other than Liverpool.

Szoboszlai remains under contract until 2028, which would be five years after his arrival on Merseyside.

And while Wirtz hasn’t hit the ground running, Liverpool will be backing their big signing to hit the heights expected of him as his career progresses. If so, then Szoboszlai could fade from importance, but his work rate should buy him some time.

8. Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool got the outcome they wanted to Van Dijk’s contract saga earlier this year, extending the captain’s deal by another two years.

At the age of 34, it might be his last deal as a world-class player before he gets phased out, but Liverpool are still building around the Dutchman as things stand.

9. Alexis Mac Allister

A pivotal signing for Liverpool’s midfield in 2023, Mac Allister arguably made the best first impression of the additions to his position that summer.

Now with more than 100 appearances for Liverpool to his name and a contract still lasting until 2028, Mac Allister is enjoying the prime of his career with Liverpool.

There is interest from Real Madrid, but whether they act on it will depend on what the Argentine’s game time is looking like.

Mac Allister himself has insisted how happy he is at Liverpool, where he is currently expecting to be for years to come – unless more comes of those Madrid links.

10. Cody Gakpo

Towards the end of August, Gakpo signed a contract renewal with Liverpool as a reward for his increased consistency last season.

Now scheduled to stay until 2030, Gakpo is locked down for longer than most Liverpool players, apart from some of their summer signings.

While he might not be an elite left-winger and could in theory be upgraded upon, he took strides forward last season and will be aiming to maintain that kind of progress.

11. Ryan Gravenberch

Gravenberch was Liverpool’s last signing of the Klopp era, arriving from Bayern Munich on deadline day in September 2023.

Although he took time to settle in during Klopp’s final season, Gravenberch went from strength to strength last season under Arne Slot, becoming an indispensable part of the midfield.

Still only 23 years old, the Netherlands international is now looking like a massive part of Liverpool’s future, probably beyond what they would have even hoped for after his underwhelming single season with Bayern Munich.

A contract extension, beyond the current expiry date of 2028, is on the agenda for Gravenberch to ensure he remains a key player at Anfield for years to come.