There has been some grumbling among Liverpool supporters this summer due to the club’s inactivity in the transfer market. Defender Ibrahima Konaté is the only major signing so far, arriving from RB Leipzig for a fee of around £36 million, but apart from that the Anfield hierarchy have not sanctioned any other significant transfers.
But that is not to say the club have been active in terms of securing player signatures. Contract negotiations with existing players have been taking place behind the scenes, and already we have seen Trent Alexander-Arnold and Fabinho sign long-term deals to cement their future at the club, with extensions also looking likely for Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Sadio Mané expected to follow suit before the summer ends. These are the kinds of players Liverpool need tied down if they are going to live up to their status as title contenders in the Premier League odds.
Alexander-Arnold endured a mixed 2020-21 season, with many questioning his defensive capabilities, but Jürgen Klopp’s support for his right-back has been unwavering throughout that time, and it’s clear that the manager sees Alexander-Arnold as someone who will wear the red shirt for many years to come, with the scouser regularly reiterating his intentions of becoming a club legend. Towards the end of last season, the 22-year-old really came into his own with some stunning performances, not least in the 3-0 win over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
It’s worth bearing in mind that Alexander-Arnold is still incredibly young, and scarily, his peak years are still ahead of him. It’s for that reason that Liverpool have secured his services until at least 2025 and reward him financially for the contributions he has made thus far in his time at Anfield.
Fabinho, meanwhile, demonstrated his importance to Liverpool throughout last season. When called upon to fill in at centre-back due to the club’s defensive injury crisis, the Brazilian stepped up and delivered some fantastic performances, proving that he is more than capable of slotting in to an unfamiliar position on the field.
However, it was when Fabinho returned to his midfield role that everyone realised just how instrumental he is in proving an anchor in the middle of the pitch. His presence in midfield allowed Thiago Alcântara to finally strut his stuff in a red shirt, and it’s no surprise that Liverpool acted swiftly to keep him at the club until 2026.
Deals for Alisson, Van Dijk and Robertson should be relatively straightforward, as they are pillars in Liverpool’s strongest starting eleven, but things could get slightly more complicated in the cases of Salah and Mané. There have long been rumours linking Salah with a move away from Anfield, and much will hinge on whether the Egyptian has sights set on a different challenge while he is still at the peak of his powers. Having won both the Champions League and Premier League with Liverpool, Salah may well be lured by a different project.
Mané, meanwhile, endured a pretty torrid time of things in the 2020-21 season, scoring just 11 Premier League goals as he struggled to produce the stunning form of prior campaigns. Now 29 years of age, it’s hard to know if last season was merely a blip or the beginning of a gradual decline in Mané’s powers. That said, Klopp still seems to have full faith that the Senegal international can improve Liverpool’s chances in the English Premier League winner odds.
There is also the puzzling contract situation of Jordan Henderson. It’s understood that talks have stalled between Henderson and Liverpool’s hierarchy, and if the midfielder wants to see out his professional career at Anfield, he may have to settle for a deal that includes performance-related incentives. With just two years left on his contract, time is running out for both parties to agree to a deal.
The departures of Emre Can and Georginio Wijnaldum in recent years are cautionary tales over poor contract dealings. Liverpool’s sporting director Michael Edwards is a tough negotiator, and is not easily swayed, but you would hope that the club can come to some sort of agreement with their inspirational captain.
Overall, should Liverpool secure new contracts with the aforementioned stars, it can be considered a successful summer. While the fans are desperate for big-money signings, it’s just as important to look after what you’ve already got.