Incoming Liverpool boss Arne Slot has three huge contract decisions waiting in his in-tray. The Dutchman will take over as 'head coach' at Anfield and work with new sporting director Richard Hughes on transfer dealings.

The Reds look set to let Joël Matip and Thiago Alcântara leave on free transfers this summer but there are three stalwarts of the Jürgen Klopp era out of contract in a year's time. A new deal for Trent Alexander-Arnold is likely to be a formality but it could be a different story for Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.

The pair will turn 33 and 32 respectively this summer and despite their undoubted contributions to Liverpool's recent success, the club will have to eventually start planning for life without them.

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Saudi Pro League clubs are expected to revisit the Salah situation this summer after failed attempts to sign the Egyptian a year ago. His touchline bust-up with Klopp at West Ham only fueled speculation that he is unhappy at Anfield.

Yet The Athletic reports Liverpool is not thinking about losing Salah and is expecting him to remain part of the squad for next season. Van Dijk, meanwhile, has already given the thumbs up to Slot's appointment.

He already works with his number two Sipke Hulshoff with the Dutch national side and appears keen for his fellow countryman to take over at Anfield. Ex-Reds manager and player Graeme Souness sees things differently though and believes there are signs Van Dijk could well move on.

Speaking on William Hill’s Three Up Front podcast, Souness said: "The fact that the end of his contract is coming up worries me. He’s 33 in July, and if his agent were to call up the sporting director at Real Madrid, they’d take him. I just look at him now and the noise he’s been making, which he hasn’t done throughout his career, and I think he’s obviously unhappy.”

Those comments come amid claims from The Mirror that Van Dijk was at a crossroads over his next move, due to the demands of the Premier League. Borussia Dortmund is said to be one club monitoring the situation, while Sports Zone reports that Bayern Munich has 'made enquiries' about taking Van Dijk to the Bundesliga.

Liverpool.com says: It has been a difficult few weeks so nobody in the Liverpool dressing room should be looking too happy right now. Van DIjk has cut a frustrated figure, having had aspirations of lifting the Premier League title this season. His performances are still of a high level and you would expect Liverpool to make a new contract a priority. Losing him this summer is unimaginable.