Liverpool icon Robbie Fowler hits out at 'poor' contract situation but offers new hope
Robbie Fowler says it is "relatively poor" from Liverpool to have allowed the situation to drag on for as long as it has done, but he doesn't believe the three stars are irreplaceable
by Chris McKenna · The MirrorLiverpool legend Robbie Fowler believes it is “relatively poor” that the club have allowed the contracts of Virgil van Dijk, Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold to get down to their final months.
But the former Reds striker insists they can replace them if all three were to leave this summer. Fowler fears that not all three of the stars will be wearing red next season with no news yet if they’ll extend their contracts beyond June.
But he points to how everyone expected them to tumble down the table when Jurgen Klopp left last summer. Yet Arne Slot is leading them to a Premier League title in his first season.
“There will be a tough ask for players coming in to replace them,” Fowler told Sky Sports. “But what I will say is that people were saying it would be a tough ask to come in and replace Jurgen Klopp, to pay Arne Slot the biggest compliment we haven’t missed Jurgen so that could be the case with players.”
Liverpool lost the Carabao Cup final on Sunday while PSG dumped them out of Europe last week. The focus is on winning the title now with a 12-point lead over Arsenal with nine games to go. Then it will be known if they’re waving goodbye to Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold in the summer.
Fowler said: “Speaking from a fan point of view, I honestly don’t think all of them will stay. “Who? I really couldn’t tell you. I’m a Liverpool fan, I want Liverpool to do well and I want Liverpool to have all the best players.
“When you’re looking at Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah these are three massively important players for Liverpool. I know Mo didn’t have a great game yesterday, they probably missed Trent but Virgil was probably the only Liverpool player who could hold his head high after yesterday. You want the three of them to sign.
“I think it is relatively poor from the club to let these great players get down to a few months left of their contract. What will be, will be.
“I look at the history of Liverpool Football Club and regardless of who is staying I think Liverpool have always been OK with the players that have come afterwards. No player is bigger than the football club, that is the case.”
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