Arne Slot gives injury updates ahead of Arsenal clash (Credits: Imago Images)
Liverpool fans need to brace for an upheaval of their squad by the end of the season whether they like it or not. Arne Slot didn’t get to spend much in the summer and the little he did fork out, those players are yet to work out. The club are almost certain to back him in the next two windows as he looks to reshape the squad to his vision with the help of sporting director Richard Hughes.
We are well aware of the contract situations of Trent Arne Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah and there is a chance none of these three players will be at Anfield at the start of next season.
However, several other players in the Liverpool squad are fighting for their futures and some of them could be moved on in the winter window or next summer.
Here is a list of players who could be out of the exit door of Anfield by the time the 2025/26 season starts apart from some expected loan moves.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (the one that Liverpool dreads the most)
If a few years back anyone told Red fans that the boyhood Liverpool supporter would be closing in on leaving the club on a free transfer, they would have been laughed out of Anfield. However, that is exactly how the soap opera is shaping up with Real Madrid ready to take him to the Spanish capital on a free transfer. Alexander-Arnold is yet to agree to sign a new contract and he wants the club to show more ambition if they want to keep him at the club. There is an increasing acceptance around the club that the defender will be a Real Madrid player next season.
Mohamed Salah
Another stalwart of Liverpool’s success is set to enter the final six months of his contract and it is one more set of negotiations that Liverpool have dragged and made it more complicated. Salah is said to be annoyed at the way the Reds have dragged their feet in improving their last offer of a new deal, which he felt was not good enough. He is keen to stay but wants Liverpool to offer him a respectable three-year contract or else he will continue to explore his options. His preference is to continue playing in Europe if he leaves Anfield next season.
Virgil van Dijk
The Liverpool captain is also on the same boat as Salah and Alexander-Arnold, but there is more of a chance that he will stay. The defender recently admitted that a decision will be made towards the end of the season but there has been real progress in talks over a new deal. Liverpool are now fairly confident that the Dutchman will sign a new contract and extend his stay beyond the end of the season.
Wataru Endo
Endo has dropped down the pecking order of midfielders this season and has turned into a bit-part player under Arne Slot. Liverpool chasing Martin Zubimendi in the summer showed that the new Reds boss didn’t have faith in the Japanese midfielder. He has not started a game in the Premier League or the Champions League and has largely been warming the bench. Liverpool are considering selling him in the winter window to part-fund the move for a new number 6
Joe Gomez
Liverpool have been heavily linked with centre-backs and the club are more or less certain to bring in a central defender next summer. This throws Gomez’s future at the club under the scanner given he seems like the fourth-choice centre-back in the squad this season. He has made just five substitute appearances in the Premier League and the Champions League and both of his starting eleven bows came in the EFL Cup. It seems certain that Gomez will be sold if Liverpool are to reinforce their central defence in the upcoming transfer windows.
Andy Robertson/Kostas Tsimikas
Robertson has been in and out of the Liverpool squad this season and will be entering the final year of his contract next summer. Liverpool are looking at left-back options as they believe they need a new long-term solution for that position. Whether it leads to Robertson leaving or Kostas Tsimikas moving on next year is for anyone to guess at the moment.
Can you name the team Liverpool sold these players to?
| [freshpress-quiz id=”23054″] |
Darwin Nunez
Diogo Jota’s injury has allowed Darwin Nunez a consistent run in the starting eleven in the last week or so but he has not been the preferred option for Arne Slot. The Uruguayan has continued to remain an enigma in front of goal and has yet to turn into the reliable hitman that Liverpool believed they were getting when they signed him in 2022. Liverpool have been heavily linked with moves for strikers such as Omar Marmoush and Viktor Gyokeres. There is a possibility that Nunez will be sold next summer to make way for a new number 9.
Federico Chiesa
Liverpool were praised for picking up Federico Chiesa from Juventus for a relatively small fee with many believing that it was a good deal. However, the fears around his injuries and general decline over the last couple of seasons were true. The Italian has played just 78 minutes of football since joining the Reds and Arne Slot has openly admitted that he needs to improve his fitness to cope with the demands of playing in the Premier League. There are already suggestions that Liverpool are plotting to loan him out in January before taking a call on his long-term future in the summer.
About the Author
