Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold are ALL leaving Liverpool - what happens now? | OneFootball

Plan for the best, prepare for the worst. That has likely been Liverpool’s approach over recent months.

Richard Hughes inherited a bit of a mess when he replaced Jorg Schmadtke as Liverpool’s Sporting Director. The Reds had assembled a talented group of players under former boss Jurgen Klopp but the contract situation was an unenviable one at Anfield.

Hughes had just six months to figure out what was going on with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk. After the January 1st deadline, the three players were free to talk to other clubs ahead of a potential free transfer move at the end of the season. Talk about being thrown in at the deep end.

Initially, we were told sorting out the futures of the skipper, the vice-captain and the three-time Golden Boot winner were a priority. Though it was the future of Alexander-Arnold that topped Hughes’ to-do list.

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No quick fix for Liverpool

It quickly became apparent that there was no quick fix to the contract situation and Liverpool decided to focus on transfers during the summer window, bringing in Giorgi Mamardashvili, Federico Chiesa and the highly rated wonderkid, Rio Ngumoha.

Both Van Dijk and Salah revealed in August that the club hadn’t opened talks over new deals with them. Paul Joyce has recently written a piece in which he claims the club want to keep both but the distribution of resources is being weighed up ahead of any potential offer to either player.

Basically, the club are deciding what is the most cost-effective decision. Is it better value for money to renew these players or replace them?

It is likely a similar situation with Alexander-Arnold. Do the club break the bank to give a right-back the sort of money usually exclusively paid to world-class, match-deciding attackers or do they let the homegrown star leave for Real Madrid just as he enters his supposed peak?

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All three could LEAVE

The optics aren’t great. But, as depressing as it sounds as a fan, this is a business. Liverpool are going to make decisions they deem to be good for business rather than simply looking at ways to appease supporters. This is what makes them different to a lot of other clubs. This is why there’s a real possibility that all three players depart Anfield at the end of the current campaign.

Liverpool won’t bow to fan pressure. They won’t be influenced by media noise. They’ll just do what they feel is best for business.

And while nobody wants to entertain this idea, what happens if all three key players depart?

What if Salah and Van Dijk both want three-year deals as opposed to two-year contracts? Those long-term assurances can make a difference. What if both don’t want to take a pay-cut, for example, given they’re performing at such a high level this season? What if Alexander-Arnold just wants to try something new?

He’s completed football with Liverpool. He might want to conquer Spain with Jude Bellingham. Footballers don’t have long careers. They can’t afford to have any regrets. What if the Reds just feel as though there are better value for money opportunities out there? It is a possibility, isn’t it?

There will be a HARD reset

What if, for whatever reason, Liverpool lose three of their best players, for nothing, in the same window?

It would be unprecedented, for starters. It would be a huge blow, both on and off of the pitch. Losing that amount of quality will see performances impacted. That is a given. How can you even quantify what they bring to the club behind the scenes and then how do you go about replacing that?

You simply cannot lose all three and expect to go again.

There would be a hard reset. Liverpool would have a transitional season or two while they come to terms with losing the highly-influential trio. They would arguably be losing three of their four world-class players. They’d regress from title challengers to top-four hopefuls and a rebuild would be required.

It sounds daunting because it is. It is also a very real possibility. If this summer doesn’t go to plan, the Reds could undo the good work they’ve achieved over the past decade.