Liverpool facing crisis of losing key players

The battle for the Premier League title is nearing its end, but Liverpool is in the midst of a turmoil that could change the fate of the team. The renewal negotiations of two key players, Salah and Van Dijk, have reached an impasse, and the two are likely to leave the team as free agents this summer. This news has attracted a lot of attention from fans and the media.

Sadio Salah has repeatedly expressed his dissatisfaction with the renewal of his contract since November 2024, saying that ‘leaving is more likely’. Although Liverpool then offered him a new contract with a weekly salary of up to £400,000, the two sides could not agree on the contract term.

• Sadio’s demands: The 32-year-old wants a long-term contract with a ‘2+1’ structure (two years fixed + one year option) to ensure he can still earn a high income at the end of his career.
• The club’s attitude: Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Group, have always been cautious about long-term contracts for players over the age of 30, fearing the risk of a decline in performance due to age.
• The lure of Saudi Arabia: Riyadh Crescent of the Saudi League is rumoured to have offered Salah a sky-high contract of more than 200 million euros per year, and the deal is 99% complete. In contrast, Liverpool’s offer seems unattractive.

Van Dijk’s demands for a contract renewal are more focused on the sporting side. He made it clear that he wants to stay in top form in order to play in the 2026 World Cup. Therefore, he has a clear request regarding the length of the contract – at least until 2026 – and wants to continue as a central defender.

• Liverpool’s concerns: Van Dijk is already 33 years old and the risk of injury is gradually increasing. The club is only willing to offer a short-term contract of 1-2 years, which obviously does not meet his needs.
• Saudi Arabia’s opportunity: Riyadh Cresent not only promises a long-term contract, but also plans to provide Van Dijk with more platforms to showcase his talent through top-level competitions such as the FIFA Club World Cup. Such conditions have undoubtedly tempted Van Dijk.

Sadio Mané and Van Dijk are the absolute core of Liverpool’s offensive and defensive systems, and their performance directly determines the team’s results.

• Sadio’s offensive contribution: In 24 games this season, Sadio has scored 18 goals and provided 15 assists, ranking second in the Premier League in terms of direct involvement in goals. He is a key figure in the team’s counter-attack tactics and can create danger in a short period of time.
• Van Dijk’s defensive role: As the leader of the back line, Van Dijk has conceded only 0.8 goals per game on average, leading Liverpool to have the Premier League’s most solid defence. His air control and command abilities are unmatched, and he is the central pillar of high defensive tactics.

If both of them leave at the same time, Liverpool will need to invest more than 200 million pounds in the transfer market to find suitable replacements, and it will be difficult to find stars of the same caliber in the short term.

Sadio Mane and Virgil van Dijk are not only the core of the tactical system, but also the spiritual leaders of the dressing room. Losing them will deal a huge blow to team morale and also force the coaching staff to readjust the tactical framework.

• Tactical adjustments: Salah’s finishing ability and Van Dijk’s defensive command are important components of the existing tactical system. Once the two players leave, Liverpool may have to build a new play style from scratch.
• Decreased stability in the title race: The absence of the two players will weaken the team’s overall strength and directly affect the prospects for the title in the next few seasons.

Riyadh’s strategy is very clever: it uses the window before the player’s contract expires to attract top stars for ‘zero transfer fees’. This approach not only saves huge transfer fees, but also quickly enhances the strength of the team.

Although Liverpool avoided the situation last summer of rejecting a £100 million offer from Saudi Arabia, which caused its assets to evaporate, it still feels passive to let go of two key players for free. However, this has also freed up huge salary space for the club.

• Salary space released: Salah and Van Dijk together earned more than £500,000 per week, and freeing up this money will help bring in young players such as potential rising stars like Cherki or Liao.
• Opportunity for rebuilding: Despite the short-term pain, in the long run Liverpool can gradually regain competitiveness by training young players.

The departures of Salah and Van Dijk will have a profound impact on Liverpool, both on a competitive and psychological level. However, this is also an opportunity for the club to transform. The biggest challenge for the management and coaching staff will be to use the resources available to them to rebuild a competitive team in the next few years. For the fans, no matter what the outcome, they need to give the team enough patience and support.