Liverpool have left themselves in a "mess" with Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold's contract situations, and the club should have handled their extensions a couple of years ago, former Reds striker John Aldridge has claimed.
Arne Slot's men have virtually reached the status of Premier League champions-elect as they sit 13 points clear of Arsenal at the top of the table, despite some unwelcome contract distractions in the background.
Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold - three cornerstones of the Liverpool XI - are still able to leave for free at the end of the season and can enter pre-contract talks with foreign teams having each entered the last six months of their agreements.
While Aldridge - who scored 63 goals in 104 games for Liverpool - does not want to earmark one of the trio as the priority for a new deal, he affirmed that Van Dijk could continue to compete at the top level for another two years until his 36th birthday.
Asked by Sports Mole if Salah's situation should be sorted first given his exceptional form, Aldridge responded: "I don't know how it works priority-wise. Does he deserve a new contract? Of course he does. They all do. They've just got to handle it properly.
Aldridge: 'Van Dijk has hopefully two years left in him'
"I'm a dinosaur, things should have been done a couple of years ago in my head! But obviously, for the reasons of the owners, they do business a different way than we used to do in football.
"Van Dijk is a leader. I love him on the pitch because he's like a manager on the pitch. He's vital. I thought after the injury against Everton he was never going to get back to his best. But where he's lost a little bit with his pace, he's made up for it with his experience in his head.
"He sees everything. With [Ibrahima] Konate now, they're vital. And he's got another year left in him. Absolutely. If not, hopefully two. So, priority-wise, I don't like to say because I love the freedom. But it has to be sorted.
"We've got ourselves into a little bit of a mess. And now we've got to get out of the mess by giving them what they deserve, what they merit."
What is the latest on Liverpool trio's contract situations?
© Imago
As has seemingly been the case for a matter of months now, the Liverpool hierarchy are still engaged in talks with the entourage of all three players, but not a single significant breakthrough has been made yet.
Salah - who registered another assist in Wednesday's 2-0 win over Newcastle United and is on course for the greatest individual Premier League season ever - has not been shy in claiming that he feels more out than in of Anfield, and the Saudi Pro League are still monitoring developments closely.
Al-Hilal are driving the Middle Eastern interest following Neymar's return to Santos, while Real Madrid remain the strongest suitors for Alexander-Arnold, eyed as a long-term successor to Dani Carvajal.
Los Blancos tried their luck with an approach on New Year's Eve, only to be immediately rebuffed by Liverpool, but there is still no firm indication that Alexander-Arnold's head has been turned by the Champions League holders.
Meanwhile, there is ostensibly the least amount of concern about Van Dijk's future, as the Dutchman recently insisted that he remains "fully committed" to the Reds while negotiations rumble on in the background.
John Aldridge was speaking to Sports Mole on behalf of talkSPORT BET.
Ben Knapton
