Luis Diaz has revealed his desperation for Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold to stay at Liverpool amidst speculation they will not renew their contracts.
The Reds beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 on Sunday at Anfield, with Diaz scoring one and winning Salah's penalty in the first half.
Liverpool lead second-placed Arsenal by seven points in the Premier League title race, but despite boasting such a healthy advantage, the team continued to be plagued by speculation that they could lose all three of Van Dijk, Salah and Alexander-Arnold for free in the summer.
Speaking to Telemundo in the aftermath of the Wolves win, Diaz spoke of his desire for the trio to stay, saying: "I've said it before. They are super important for us. It's up to the club, but hopefully they'll stay because what they bring to the team is impressive. What they have done, what they have won."
Though speculation regarding their futures has been rife, all three can at least say they have not allowed their performance levels to drop in their quest for silverware.
© Imago
Liverpool's summer of change
The blow of potentially losing one of Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold or Salah for free in the summer would be somewhat softened should the team bring back the Premier League and Champions League trophies.
However, their exits are not the only ones on the card, with Diaz himself having often been linked with a transfer to the likes of Barcelona.
The winger will have just two years left on his contract at the end of this season, and given he is 28, Liverpool could look to sell him in order to maximise any potential fee.
Elsewhere, Darwin Nunez has routinely been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League, and it would be surprising if the striker was still at the club next season considering he has found himself out of favour under Arne Slot.
There also remain question marks about the futures of Diogo Jota and Joe Gomez, who have both been beset by injuries during their time at Anfield and have not been able to showcase their talents on a consistent basis.
It is difficult to see how Liverpool would be able to replace so many members of their squad on top of potentially losing three of their stars for free.
Conor Bradley could be promoted into the first XI as Alexander-Arnold's replacement, but there are no natural successors to Van Dijk and Salah, so the sooner the club can sort out their contract extensions the better as far as Slot is concerned.
Lewis Nolan
