Liverpool supporters were not given the gift they were all looking for on Christmas Day.
Some Reds’ had retained a hope heading into the big day that they would be presented with three new contract extensions at Anfield.
However, as Wednesday turns into Thursday, there is still no sign that any of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah or Trent Alexander-Arnold are on the verge of signing extensions.
Nevertheless, with Liverpool in action on Boxing Day, there is plenty of activity around the club.
It’s clear that talks and negotiations remain ongoing with each of the ‘big three’ who could leave in 2025.
And according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth, there is something now looking ‘very likely’ to happen in regards to both Van Dijk and Salah.
Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah ‘very likely’ to stay
It would have been a nice touch had Liverpool been able to announce some contract extensions on Christmas Day.
It would certainly have made for a raucous atmosphere at Anfield for Thursday’s game with Leicester, that’s for sure. But with talks still ongoing, that was always unlikely to happen in reality.
Still, speaking to Give Me Sport, Sheth says it remains probable that supporters will get some good news about both Van Dijk and Salah in the near future.
“I think the focus at Liverpool seems to be the players that are there at the moment, Salah, Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold,” says the journalist.
“Until there is concrete signatures on a piece of paper or not, then they will continue to be talked about, because they’ll be entering the final six months. They can talk to clubs outside the Premier League come January.
“It looks very likely at the moment, that Salah and Van Dijk will stay,” he adds. “I’m not saying Alexander-Arnold won’t stay. It’s just that his one hasn’t been made as public as Salah and Van Dijk.”
What about Trent Alexander-Arnold?
As Sheth alludes to, the feeling at the moment is that Alexander-Arnold is the most likely of this trio to leave the club this summer.
However, it does not seem as though the Liverpool academy player upping sticks at the end of the season is anything like a formality.
Providing an update on Christmas Day, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano outlined what’s happening with Real Madrid and Alexander-Arnold.
For the time being, it still seems as though Trent’s future remains in the balance.
Hope should not be thrown away with the Christmas leftovers just yet, but it certainly looks as though Liverpool’s two key veterans are closer to staying than the No.66.
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