Arne Slot challenge, big three contracts - What Guardiola signing Man City extension means for Liverpool

Pep Guardiola is reportedly on the verge of extending his time at Manchester City. It is not the greatest news Liverpool, nor anybody else who fancied themselves a go at the Premier League title, would have wanted to hear.

From his perspective, that man has been the mastermind behind one of the greatest dominant streaks of a team in English football history. From a Liverpool point of view he has been the mastermind of hurt, frustration, and plenty of long nights wondering what might have been.

Jurgen Klopp would have stood out even more amongst his peers with most likely two more Premier League titles to his name. He eventually decided nine years was enough for himself as a manager in England and that gave the inkling Guardiola might follow suit at that very same marker, though it is evidently less draining when you are on the winning side most of the time.

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In truth, it will do no good reminiscing over the numerous times the ribbons of a trophy have been sky blue rather than red.

As a bright future is burgeoning under Arne Slot, it will be more worthwhile to look ahead and analyse the probable butterfly effect that Man City's manager deciding to continue in his job will have on the rivals around them.

Slot's challenge clear

All Liverpool can do to be the best is focus on themselves and carry out their own strategy across all levels.

But this at least paints a greater picture for Slot and his squad, as if not this season they will all have desires to lift the Premier League trophy in the next, or even the one after that. It means to be crowned champions, they will have to do so fighting against the greatest Premier League manager of this current day - if not all-time.

Only Antonio Conte and Klopp have been able to prevent Guardiola's rise to the top of the tree in his previous seasons in this country, and it will be on the Reds' head coach to fully develop his own playing style over an extended period of time if he is to join that elite group.

But all is not rosy for Man City

As much as it is a challenge for Slot, Liverpool could perhaps reap the benefits of some new challenges facing Guardiola in the additional year - or years - he elects to stay at the Etihad Stadium.

The glaring one is that the Spaniard will be expected to carry out some sort of a Klopp-esque task of building a squad he is happy to leave to the next man.

Of his current group there are nine - Scott Carson, Kyle Walker, Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin de Bruyne, Stefan Ortega, Ederson, Mateo Kovacic, John Stones and Bernardo Silva - who are all aged 30 or above.

On top of that there are nine of the group whose contracts will expire by the summer of 2026 - some of the above names included - or if Guardiola takes up his option until 2027 then there are 18 who are out of contract.

All is well and good, Guardiola staying, but whether he does or doesn't, change is coming and if not for a successor, it will be his distraction to oversee it is carried out.

Man City must also not forget, the higher you climb the harder you fall. Just look at what happened with Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United. Liverpool will need to be on hand to capitalise.

The big three must stay

If the Reds are going to be facing their toughest opponent, they will require their best players.

This chain of events only heightens the need for contract extension agreements of their own with all three of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

It is no coincidence with the club he is linked to coming to Anfield next Wednesday that there seem to be more rumours than ever around the latter committing his future to the club. As the youngest of the trio, a local lad and likely to become a future captain should he remain, Alexander-Arnold is one to get sorted and fast.

Though it is so hard to say that when Salah is arguably player of the season so far and Van Dijk is pushing him for that accolade. The bottom line is all three must sign to go to battle with Guardiola's legions.

115 elephants in the room

The backdrop of Guardiola's 'will he, won't he' stay drama has of course been painted by Man City's ongoing battle with the Premier League over their 115 Financial Fair Play charges. That hearing commenced in September with an outcome unlikely to be heard until next year.

The manager has on numerous occasions reaffirmed his alignment with the club's ownership over this issue - innocent until proven guilty, and that no wrongdoing has taken place. His commitment to remain as the club's manager only backs this up.

In the past he has said he would take on the challenge of managing the club in League Two or the National League, if relegation down the divisions was the punishment dealt if found guilty. There are also reports suggesting he has a no 'relegation break' clause in this latest contract extension to be signed, so perhaps Guardiola is feeling confident about the hearing's outcome.

The worst scenario for Liverpool is that some of his players who are also due to have contracts end in the next three years - Erling Haaland, Rodri, Phil Foden to name a few - all follow on.

Xabi Alonso's fate decided

Linked with taking over from Guardiola in recent months was none other than former Red, Xabi Alonso. He chose to stay at Bayer Leverkusen this summer when the possibility to join Liverpool was there but as 2026 aligned with Man City maybe needing a new coach, they could have thrown a curveball to what otherwise seemed a forgone conclusion.

That forgone conclusion was Alonso joining Real Madrid, and as Liverpool are happy with Slot, other former club Bayern Munich happy with Vincent Kompany and Man City seemingly going to be pleased with Guardiola staying, it makes this saga a little easier to predict.