Troy Deeney believes that it would be easier for Liverpool to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold than Mohamed Salah or Virgil van Dijk.
Liverpool have made an impressive start to life without Jurgen Klopp. While the German manager’s departure was a massive blow, Arne Slot has managed to take control and ensure they perform at a similar level. With three wins in three league outings, the Reds have made the perfect start to the new era.
While performances on the pitch have been top-notch, the Merseyside club have a lot to worry about apart from what they do on the pitch. The future of three of their mainstays is uncertain. Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold have all entered the final year of their contract.
The Reds can’t afford to lose all three players in the same transfer window. Former Premier League striker Troy Deeney has shared his view on who Liverpool should prioritize when it comes to extending contracts, offering his verdict on who is most essential to keep.
While speaking on talkSPORT, the former Watford ace said via the Mirror: “Van Dijk is not getting any younger, but I think, and this is going to sound really harsh, but in order of priority I would have gone, Salah first, Van Dijk second then Trent,”
“What I mean by that is you are going to need at least two players to recreate what Salah gives you, goals and assists-wise.
“Centre-back – every centre-back they have got apart from Van Dijk is a number two. It’s very difficult to go out and find, as Man United are finding, to find that number one centre-back. I think of the three, he (Alexander-Arnold) is the easier one to replace.”
Salah & Van Dijk’s new deals should be the priority
Alexander-Arnold has been at Liverpool since his childhood days and since he is only 25, it would be quite logical if the Reds push hard to extend his stay on a priority basis. With Salah and Van Dijk both on the wrong side of 30, Liverpool will have to secure a replacement at some stage.
But, Deeney feels replacing Alexander-Arnold will be the easiest of the three. As a result, he feels they should prioritise extending the stay of Salah and Van Dijk. The former Watford striker suggested that with the number of goals and assists the Egyptian international racks up every season, the Reds will need two players to cope with his absence.
As far as Van Dijk is concerned, he is the cornerstone of their defence and finding a replacement won’t be easy. He feels finding that lead centre-back is not that easy a task as Manchester United have also been looking for someone of that sort for a while now. While Alexander-Arnold is amongst the best full-backs in world football, they could still do without him.
