Liverpool timeline on Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold deals revealed amid star’s captaincy dream

Liverpool remain calm amid the speculation surrounding Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk, despite all three players being out of contract next summer.

The trio, who are all vital players for the Reds, will be eligible to open pre-contract talks with foreign clubs next month, ahead of a potential free transfer next summer.

Liverpool are known to be excellent long-term planners and tend to ignore the noise in the media and do things on their own terms.

All three players have contract offers from Liverpool on the table heading into January. Each of the cases are different. Regarding Salah, he is widely believed to have said in a recent interview that he is “more out than in” to put pressure on the Reds.

Salah is open to staying at Anfield and the talks are seen as positive at this stage, despite confirmed interest from the Saudi Pro League, and Al-Hilal in particular. The biggest point of discussion is over wages should a longer-term contract be agreed. The 32-year-old will still expect to be Liverpool’s best paid player and Liverpool will have to decide whether it’s a risk to offer lucrative terms over a long period of time given Salah’s game time could diminish.

Salah’s is understood to want a two-year extension which includes the option for another year, while Liverpool’s preference is to only offer a longer-term contract with a flexible wage that may reduce somewhat over time. A short-term contract would mitigate this risk.

Sources say it is unlikely that Salah pens a new deal before January, but his heart is still set on staying on Merseyside.

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No real progress on Van Dijk negotiations – yet

Van Dijk is also happy to stay at Liverpool, but there is still work to be done in negotiations. The biggest sticking point is that the Reds are likely to sign a new centre-back in 2025 and Van Dijk wants to know his role and ultimately minutes. The 33-year-old will have to think about whether he’s comfortable with that situation before making a decision.

Van Dijk is far more open to playing a somewhat reduced role, over time, than Salah, but first wants to understand which type of centre-back Liverpool may sign and how many minutes he’ll get moving forward. We understand that could add time to a deal being thrashed out. With thisin mind, it’s also anticipated that negotiations with the Dutch international will continue into the New Year.

Alexander-Arnold wants to be Liverpool captain

It’s no secret that Real Madrid are huge admirers of Alexander-Arnold and they have made him one of their biggest transfer targets for 2025, alongside Tottenham’s Pedro Porro and Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot.

The right-back is happy at Anfield but he wants to be Liverpool’s captain in the long-term, which could also have implications for Van Dijk, who currently wears the armband. If Liverpool were to offer the captaincy to Alexander-Arnold imminently, that could potentially change the centre-back’s view on staying.

If Liverpool do reach an agreement with Alexander-Arnold, it is expected to come before deals are done for Van Dijk and Salah, as the strong interest from Madrid makes the situation more pressing. Liverpool would prefer Alexander-Arnold’s future to be clear before the January window opens.

The good news for Liverpool, however, is that Alexander-Arnold is prioritising talks with the Reds. He does not intend to sign a pre-contract deal with any other club before negotiations conclude regardless of what he decides. Bobby Firmino took the same approach, informing Jurgen Klopp he wasn’t going to renew and only then talking directly to clubs before eventually joining Al-Ahli.

Liverpool, therefore, control the timeline and are not expected to panic even if talks did continue into January with Alexander-Arnold.  A winter exit is not on the cards for the full-back. Real will also not try in January since the appeal is Alexander-Arnold on a free in the summer. If Alexander-Arnold does leave, it will be on a free transfer next summer, but Liverpool still remain cautiously optimistic he’ll pen a lucrative, long-term deal.

None of Salah, Van Dijk or Alexander-Arnold have held concrete talks with other clubs yet over leaving mid-season or in the summer and Liverpool believe they have full control over the situation.

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IN FOCUS: Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold under Arne Slot