Robbie Fowler has earmarked Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen and Tottenham Hotspur's Micky van den Ven as potential replacements for Virgil van Dijk, should the Liverpool captain leave as a free agent. But the legendary former striker thinks finding a successor for Mohamed Salah will be an impossible job as both players enter the final three months of their respective Anfield contracts.

Alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is attracting what is now long-standing interest from Real Madrid, both Salah and Van Dijk will be out of contract at the end of the campaign as things stand.

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Neither player has been able to offer any clues as to whether or not there has been any progress behind the scenes in recent weeks, with talk ongoing around securing the pair to fresh terms on Merseyside.

Fowler accepts it would be a difficult job finding a defender who would be able to compensate for the loss of club skipper Van Dijk but the iconic frontman highlighted Cherries youngster Huijsen and Spurs star Van de Ven as a couple of possible options, should Van Dijk exit.

“When it comes to potentially replacing Virgil van Dijk, I’m a big fan of both Dean Huijsen at Bournemouth and Micky van de Ven at Tottenham," Fowler said.

“Having said that, we are talking about players who are not as good as Van Dijk, he is the absolute stand out in the Premier League and all effort should be made to keep him at the club.

“As a football fan you want your club to keep improving and keep signing good, valuable players, but first of all it’s about keeping your best players at the club.

“He is a Rolls Royce of a player and I do think that the game looks too easy for him at times, he is a tremendous player and a tremendous leader. We’re in the realms of just giving him what he wants to ensure he stays.

“There are good players out there but no one as good as him, if he does go then it should be someone that knows the Premier League. Someone who knows the speed and the intensity. But replacing Van Dijk with anyone is a gamble.

“I’m the sort of fan that thinks if you’re not out there signing good players then you’re slipping behind the competition and are slipping backwards.

“If you’re not doing that and improving the squad you can plateau. When it comes to Micky van de Ven, he’s a very very good player despite having his injury problems.

“I think he is strong, fast and I think he would look right in a Liverpool shirt. I know Tottenham fans won’t want to hear that but it’s a compliment to him as a player that I think the league leaders should have a look at him.”

On the prospect of 30-goal Salah leaving at the end of the season, Fowler, speaking to BoyleSports, who offer Premier League odds, added: “You’re in the realms of impossible when it comes to replacing Mohamed Salah at Liverpool. If Salah leaves Liverpool then they will become a poorer team whoever comes in.

“Look at the goals and assists that Salah is posting this season, he has just been incredible. His performances haven’t always been brilliant but he will always pop up with something beautiful and out of the ordinary.

“It will be a sad day if he doesn't sign a new contract because when you have aspirations of winning the Premier League, Champions League and domestic cups you need to have players like Salah around.

“There are so few players matching his numbers and any replacement would be downgrading, fingers crossed he stays at Liverpool because a sad day is looming.”