Liverpool have obtained two fantastic items of reports within the final seven days, with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk signing new contracts so as to lengthen their respective spells at Anfield.
Salah’s renewal was introduced final week, with van Dijk’s determination being made official on Thursday – days after he scored the profitable objective in Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over West Ham, which was one other step within the path of Arne Slot’s aspect profitable the Premier League.
Salah and van Dijk have been two of Liverpool’s high performers this season, and regardless of each being of their thirties, there was a transparent need for them to stay on the membership.
Salah and van Dijk staying is ideal information for Liverpool
In his unique CaughtOffside column, Collymore spoke on his delight at Salah and van Dijk signing new contracts at Liverpool.
“It’s wonderful for Liverpool to retain the providers of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk. For me, it doesn’t matter how a lot cash they’ve been supplied given their ages, as a result of the cash that it might value to interchange them would certainly be a lot extra. Each of them are greater than able to preserving their ranges for the subsequent 2-3 years, even when they had been to regress barely by way of bodily health.
“In van Dijk’s case, he’s very able to sustaining his pure skill to learn a match even when he slows down – he simply has that factor that so many different defenders don’t. And with Salah, I don’t see him dropping a lot of that crucial tempo two or three years down the road. The one factor that each have to be cautious of is being overplayed, which might convey on accidents – however to handle this, I might not be stunned to see them retire from worldwide soccer within the not-too-distant future. There could possibly be a dialog about that after the 2026 World Cup.”
Collymore additionally believes that it was extra necessary for Liverpool to retain the providers of Salah and van Dijk as a substitute of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who seems set to affix Actual Madrid as a free agent.
“For those who had informed me final summer season that Liverpool would hold Salah and van Dijk however lose Trent Alexander-Arnold, I’d have been doing cartwheels – and I’m positive that supporters will really feel the identical. The latter is a superb participant, however he’s not as essential to Arne Slot’s aspect as the opposite two. Conor Bradley is greater than able to stepping up, and by way of passing output, there’s already the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister. However Liverpool should not a protracted passing aspect anyway.”
