Are Salah and Van Dijk Nearing Exit?

Is a golden chapter at Anfield approaching its final pages? The question is being asked with increasing frequency as Liverpool contemplate a future that may look markedly different from the one supporters have known over the past several seasons. According to former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore, the summer ahead could bring seismic change, with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk both facing uncertain futures despite their enduring status as modern club icons.

Only last season, both Salah and Van Dijk committed their futures to Liverpool by signing contract extensions running until 2027. At the time, the agreements appeared to signal stability and continuity at the heart of the team. However, the arrival of head coach Arne Slot has altered the strategic landscape. Slot is widely viewed as an architect of long-term renewal, favouring a younger, more dynamic squad capable of sustaining intensity across domestic and European competitions. Within that vision, the role of Liverpool’s most experienced stars has inevitably come under scrutiny.

Liverpool’s recent transfer activity underlines that shift. The club invested close to €260 million last season to secure Swedish striker Alexander Isak and German midfielder Florian Wirtz, two of the most coveted young talents in European football. Expectations were enormous, but injuries and adaptation issues have so far prevented both players from consistently delivering at the level anticipated. Even so, Collymore believes Liverpool’s long-term planning is firmly centred on these younger figures rather than on extending the dominance of established stars.

Speaking about what he termed “Liverpool 2.0”, Collymore argued that difficult decisions are unavoidable. In his view, at least one of Salah or Van Dijk may have to make way next summer if Slot is to fully implement his project. Squad evolution, he suggested, often requires emotional sacrifices, no matter how revered the departing figures may be.

Salah’s situation is particularly delicate. Despite being mentioned alongside club legends such as Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush and Steven Gerrard, the Egyptian forward has recently been the subject of debate regarding his on-field demeanour and reactions to tactical changes. Collymore noted that the excitement generated by high-profile arrivals like Isak and Wirtz can unintentionally leave established stars feeling marginalised, especially those accustomed to being the focal point of both team and fan attention.

Van Dijk, meanwhile, will turn 35 in July. While his authority and composure remain invaluable, questions persist about how long he can anchor Liverpool’s defence at the very highest level. Collymore believes the club may yet keep the Dutchman for another season, but he was far more emphatic about Salah’s prospects, predicting that the forward is “almost certain” to depart next summer.

The contrast between Liverpool’s current pillars and their projected future is illustrated below:

Whether Salah’s departure would mark the symbolic beginning of the end of Liverpool’s golden era remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that Anfield stands on the threshold of transformation, where legacy and ambition must somehow be reconciled.