Liverpool’s unseen strength can help navigate contract distraction in title charge

New year, new context. Liverpool will enter 2025 top of the Premier League, a year of a seismic change that could have sent them spiralling downwards instead sees them ending on a high. But if 2024 brought the departure of Jurgen Klopp, 2025 could see a trio of significant exits. From 1 January, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah will be able to discuss a summer move to a foreign club on a free transfer. The date may not be ideal, given the first week of January contains a meeting with Manchester United. Yet Arne Slot has excelled in what could have been an awkward situation, smiling as he has declined to offer updates.

The Dutchman came as close as he has to furnishing anyone with information by confirming that conversations are continuing with each but said: “It would be a surprise if I was the one to announce that one of them has extended. Keep asking, that's your job, but you're probably not going to get an answer from me. It's clear that from 1 January, maybe for you guys, things change a lot but they are in constant talks with the club and let's wait and see what happens. As long as they keep performing like this, the head coach is happy.”

And thus far the backdrop has been neither a distraction nor destabilising. Liverpool are unbeaten in 22 games. They have won 22 of 26 under Slot. Alexander-Arnold has been terrific, looking to his manager to improve his defending while retaining his capacity to produce remarkable passes. Salah has seemed to reverse the ageing process. His Boxing Day strike against Leicester took him to 250 goal involvements in the Premier League for Liverpool – scored 171, assisted 79 – and, more topically, took him to the brink of his total for the whole of last season. Then he played a part in 28 goals; it is 27 already, 16 scored and 11 made. If the campaign ended now, Salah would have the double of the Golden Boot and the most assists. For good measure, he would surely take the individual honours.

Then there is Van Dijk, a year Salah’s senior at 33 but also looking timeless. The captain remains as imperious as ever. Friday marks the seventh anniversary of the announcement of his arrival from Southampton for £75m, next Sunday’s meeting with United falling seven years to the day since his goalscoring debut in a Merseyside derby.

Slot tends to qualify his comments about the players he inherited. Is Van Dijk at his best now? "It is difficult to judge because I wasn't here when Virgil was close to winning the Ballon d'Or [in 2019, when he came second], for example,” he said. “He is a tremendous player and has been for so many years for Liverpool. Unfortunately he was out with an injury for almost all of the season [20-21] and that didn't help this football club at all.

"So that probably tells you how much of an impact he's had here at this club. I can only tell you about my experiences of him and not only is what you see, because you see all the games and he is outstanding during the games. But he has such a big impact during training sessions as well.

“He is the vocal leader of the team and every time we start an exercise he is on top of his teammates and he leads by example. So, for me, he has been outstanding until now and I only hope he can continue showing this during the games and the training sessions as long as he is with us."

And if that raised the question of precisely how long Van Dijk will remain, there is little doubt that Slot’s fellow Dutchman hopes to stay. So, too, Salah, even if he described himself last month as “more out than in”. The forward has taken the more public stance. The defender has spoken regularly while keeping his thoughts private. The vice-captain Alexander-Arnold, with high-profile admirers in Real Madrid, may be the likeliest to leave.

Slot, meanwhile, maintains he leaves contract talks to director of football Richard Hughes. If it is his way of deflecting the issue, the uncertainty represents the one problem with his inheritance. Klopp left a terrific squad, but also with a ticking timebomb in three contracts. Arguably they are the three best players, perhaps the three most important. Certainly, their presence has enabled others, whether Ibrahima Konate, Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones or Cody Gakpo, to improve. The danger is that he has a substantially weaker squad in his second season than his first, should talks break down and others take advantage of Liverpool’s failure to tie them down before Slot’s arrival.

None of that, however, is reflected in either the manager’s demeanour or the results. Liverpool have spent much of 2024 in limbo. They nevertheless flourished in the first two months after Klopp announced he would go. They have prospered when it is unclear if Van Dijk, Salah and Alexander-Arnold will follow. If it is testament to their mentality, it faces a further test as the time left on those three deals decreases and as suitors are allowed to approach them.