Paul Merson slams Liverpool's 'CRIMINAL' treatment of Mohamed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold in contract saga

Paul Merson has deed retired astatine Liverpool for allowing the contracts of Mohamed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold to expire.

All 3 players tin permission Anfield connected escaped transfers this summertime unless they motion last-minute deals. 

Alexander-Arnold, who has been astatine the Merseyside nine since joining the younker academy successful 2004, is expected to spell to Real Madrid. While the futures of Salah — the club's all-time Premier League apical scorer — and skipper Van Dijk stay uncertain. 

The trio person been cardinal to Liverpool's ascent to the apical of the Premier League array but Merson present thinks it improbable that immoderate of them volition beryllium successful Arne Slot's broadside travel the commencement of adjacent season. 

'I don't spot immoderate of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk signing astatine Liverpool,' the erstwhile Arsenal prima told Sky Sports. 

'Because I conscionable don't cognize wherefore you wouldn't person signed already. Why would you support connected losing £80,000 a week, each week for the past 18 months?

'I'd beryllium rather shocked if each 3 stayed from here. Unless Liverpool are prepared to springiness them £30m, £40m successful their slope account.'

Merson added that helium was amazed that the nine had allowed the concern to make and believes Liverpool volition beryllium a overmuch weaker broadside adjacent twelvemonth should each 3 depart — nary substance what concern they bash implicit the summer.

'I deliberation Van Dijk and Salah are the champion successful the concern successful their positions. If I could bargain anybody, I'd bargain them two,' helium said.

'If you suffer Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold, you've mislaid fractional of the backmost four. And if you suffer Salah, you're losing 30 to 40 goals a season. Good luck uncovering them anyplace else.

'When you get down to that overmuch endowment and they're that good, you should ne'er person little than 2 years, oregon 2 and a fractional years near connected your declaration earlier they're sitting down and saying: "we privation to spell again".

'And the lone clip their contracts should beryllium moving retired is erstwhile they're 33, 34, erstwhile nary 1 wants them.

'In shot terms, it's criminal. It's transgression that you tin fto 3 of the apical players successful the satellite of shot person their contracts tally down, and they could permission for perfectly nothing, spell anyplace they want.'