Michael Owen has encouraged Liverpool to decide on the long-term futures of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, describing them as “genius players” who are irreplaceable at Anfield.
And the former Reds striker believes the quest must begin to discover younger players capable of eventually replacing the crucial duo in Arne Slot’s side in the coming years.
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Salah turned 32 this week and is now in the penultimate year of the most lucrative deal in Merseyside history, while club captain Van Dijk, who is in the same contract scenario as his teammate, will turn 33 next month.
As a result, Owen believes the search for their long-term successors must be aggressively pursued behind the scenes. While the ex-England forward admits it will be difficult to recruit players of a similar caliber, he is concerned about both Salah and Van Dijk leaving.
With only a year left on their contracts, a resolution for both will be a major challenge for new sporting director Richard Hughes, together with head coach Slot and Michael Edwards, who has returned to the club as Fenway Sports Group’s ‘CEO of football’. In an interview with AceOdds, Owen emphasized the long-term relevance of both players.
“I don’t necessarily think there’s anybody or any position that is really weak,” said Owen, who won six trophies during his time at Liverpool. “My biggest concern is finding the next absolute genius players, the difference makers. And if any of those come up, then that’s where Liverpool should be looking at for the next couple of years.
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