‘Liverpool now backed into unmanageable corner by Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk’
Liverpool and their supporters have certainly had plenty to celebrate over the course of the past few weeks but there appears to be difficulty in store sooner rather than later.
On Sunday (27 April), Arne Slot‘s side thrashed Tottenham 5-1 at Anfield to secure the Premier League title for this season, with four games still to go.
That was the culmination of a dominant season on the pitch in the league, and they have been productive off it as well recently.
Earlier this month, it was announced that Mo Salah has signed a new two-year deal with Liverpool, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2027.
Not long after, it was also confirmed that Virgil van Dijk has extended his contract at Anfield for the same amount of time.
With both set to continue as key players for the club after months of speculation, those extensions do look to be a boost for the Reds, although football finance expert Rob Wilson has suggested they could also be about to cause problems for the club.
‘Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk deals to restrict transfer business’
Both Salah and Van Dijk look as though they will continue to be among the highest earners in the Liverpool squad now that they have extended their deals.
Both are of course also now well into their thirties, meaning the chances of selling them on in the future are also diminishing as the duo approach the veteran stage of their career.
That will reduce the chances of generating any sort of profit from the pair, in turn affecting the club’s ability to invest as they look to keep within financial regulations, Wilson has suggested.
| Premier League position | Played | Points |
| 1. Liverpool | 34 | 82 |
| 2. Arsenal | 34 | 67 |
Speaking to The i about the financial position Liverpool are now in, the programme director at The University Campus of Football Business said:
“Liverpool are in decent financial shape but their ongoing commitments are significant. So I wouldn’t be expecting big, big acquisitions for Liverpool this summer.
“It appears to me they have backed themselves into an almost unmanageable corner with Van Dijk and Salah contract negotiations – they’re spending a huge amount on those two contracts which they can’t now re-invest in the playing squad.
“Those two players haven’t got any resale value, which may be a problem in two or three years.”
Liverpool problem will emerge again
Football Insider Verdict
One of the big concerns for Liverpool over Salah and Van Dijk this season had been the challenge in replacing them had they left on free transfers this summer.
Of course, that is now no longer a concern for the upcoming transfer window, given the duo have committed their futures to the club.
However, it is clear Liverpool still need to sign several players this summer if they are to consolidate their place at the top of the table.
As a result, it will be a worry if the wages they are now paying to Salah and Van Dijk limit their ability to do that.
Indeed, given their age and contract length it also appears it will be difficult to impossible for the club to generate substantial fees on the duo in the future.
That may mean they will still have to replace the pair when they leave for free in 2027, which could give Liverpool the same issue they had been worrying about for much of this season.