Former Liverpool player Glen Johnson voiced his worry regarding the potential departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah from Anfield should Jurgen Klopp’s successor fail to replicate the German manager’s success swiftly.
The announcement of Klopp’s departure after nine fruitful years at the club surprised the football world last month, as the 56-year-old revealed his decision to leave Liverpool.
Klopp communicated his decision to depart Liverpool to the club’s management in November, citing exhaustion as the primary reason for his exit, as he felt he was ‘running out of energy’.
Liverpool are currently exploring potential replacements for Klopp, with Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso, Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi, and Sporting boss Ruben Amorim emerging as contenders for the Anfield position.
Johnson highlighted the contractual situations of Salah and Alexander-Arnold, noting that both players have less than 18 months left on their current deals. He suggested that if new agreements cannot be reached between Liverpool and their star players, discussions about potential transfers to other clubs could commence as soon as January 2025.
‘Let’s be real, who’s not going to take Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mo Salah on the cheap,’ Johnson told the Sun.
‘I don’t believe we’ll see a big exodus at Liverpool this summer if the contract situations don’t get sorted now – which they won’t do because the players are going to want to know what’s going on.
‘If they have a bad start to next season, then a year from now we will be discussing about them having six months left on their contracts. If that happens, Liverpool will be in trouble because Trent and Mo can attract interest from any club they want.’
The ex-defender, who served Liverpool for six years, playing in over 200 matches, emphasised the urgency for the club to secure a top-notch manager before the approaching transfer window.
‘If Liverpool try and sign a top player in the summer, they will want to know who is replacing Jurgen?
‘Jurgen pulls people in and Jose Mourinho did the same thing. They’re examples of managers that top players want to play for.
‘You need to excite the players to encourage them to move to Liverpool. The club is a huge draw for players in its own right. But knowing who the manager is, is also very important.’
The successor to Klopp at Anfield faces one of the toughest tasks in global football. Filling the shoes of the influential German manager won’t come without challenges, as Liverpool fans anticipate maintaining the same brand of play, energy, and results seen consistently throughout Klopp’s nine-year reign.
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