Van Dijk and Salah exit? Ranking Liverpool squad by how likely they are to follow Klopp out
We are not expecting a mass exodus at Anfield this summer but Jurgen Klopp’s decision to leave Liverpool at the end of the season has raised the prospect of at least some movement.
Rumours involving Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk have inspired us to rank the entire Reds squad by how likely they are to follow Klopp out of the door when 2023/24 comes to an end.
We have taken every Liverpool first-team player on Transfermarkt, including those out on loan and out of contract in the summer.
27) Stefan Bajcetic
Yes, he still exists. And no, we can’t see him leaving. Not even on loan.
26) Conor Bradley
Youth players will largely find themselves in the ‘unlikely to leave’ section. If Bradley was to depart, it would surely only be on loan.
25) Ben Doak
Doak is a promising young winger and will probably spend next season out on loan.
24) Jarrel Quansah
Klopp handed Quansah his Premier League debut last August and he has looked pretty promising in his early days with the big boys.
23) Trent Alexander-Arnold
Klopp is all he has known but he is Liverpool through and through. Surely he won’t follow the legendary manager’s lead?
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22) Wataru Endo
We don’t know the summer plans for Liverpool but it is pretty clear that they cannot afford to sell their only out-and-out senior defensive midfielder.
21) Alexis Mac Allister
Youngsters and summer signings are pretty much ruled out.
20) Dominik Szoboszlai
Especially successful signings like Szoboszlai and Mac Allister.
19) Ryan Gravenberch
But not so much for players struggling to make a name for themselves like Gravenberch.
18) Harvey Elliott
Elliott has a lot of potential and is not likely to attract the same sort of interest as Curtis Jones, meaning he will probably stay put.
17) Alisson
If there is a chance Virgil van Dijk leaves, then surely you can make an argument for anyone being sold this summer, Alisson included.
The Brazilian goalkeeper leaving feels like a pretty catastrophic scenario for Liverpool fans, unless that performance at Arsenal becomes a regular occurrence…
16) Andy Robertson
Robertson is keen to play for Celtic before he hangs up his boots so that possibility will always linger over his head.
That being said, we think he is too good to consider that at the end of this season.
15) Ibrahima Konate
A player Klopp’s replacement will surely be desperate to keep, Konate is one of the best young centre-backs in world football.
Injuries are a worry, though. That shouldn’t be enough to see him depart in the summer.
14) Luis Diaz
Outstanding on his day, Diaz is in the same boat as Konate and while his placement hints there is a chance he will leave…he won’t.
13) Diogo Jota
Jota is an interesting player. At times you wonder how he is a Premier League forward. Other times you are convinced he is the best finisher of all time.
For some reason, this feels like the first name who you wouldn’t be that surprised to see go. He isn’t getting any younger and that is the only justification for my hunch.
12) Cody Gakpo
It has not quite clicked for Gakpo at Anfield but there is a player in there.
The summer will mark 18 months in the Premier League for the Dutchman, which is how long Memphis Depay lasted at Manchester United. That omen places him higher than you would assume.
11) Darwin Nunez
If Klopp can’t get a tune out of him, then who the hell can? He needs a miracle worker to iron out the rawness in his game. The big question is: who will pay what Liverpool want for Darwin?
10) Curtis Jones
Enjoying the best season of his career, Jones might look to jump ship while his stock is high. It is hard to envision a manager coming to Anfield and eking out what Klopp has found in recent months.
Arsenal are reportedly keen and it would be intriguing to see how far Jones can go under Mikel Arteta.
READ: Mainoo and Jones could challenge Gareth Southgate’s natural pragmatism
9) Joe Gomez
Might fancy a crack at being an important player for a Premier League club. It has been a long time coming.
8) Virgil van Dijk
Van Dijk is out of contract in 2025 and has hinted that he is a) open to a move and b) completely not open to a move. He might be playing very well this season but if there is an appealing offer from Saudi Arabia, for example, it might be very hard to turn down.
7) Adrian
Out of contract at the end of the season and probably won’t be offered a new deal. Every team needs a third-choice goalkeeper, though. Someone’s got to do it.
6) Caoimhin Kelleher
Klopp has managed to convince him to be Alisson’s back-up and we can see him seeking to spread his wings when he leaves.
5) Rhys Williams
Playing a role in Liverpool’s top-four finish in 2020/21 was as good as it got for Williams, who has no first-team appearances for the Reds since that campaign. After a few loan spells, it is surely time to leave permanently.
4) Kostas Tsimikas
Back-ups capable of starting for another Premier League club or at least in one of the other top five leagues will rank highly here. Klopp has clearly done a good job convincing decent reserve players to stay.
3) Thiago
He will miss those cosy Klopp cuddles and we will miss his average six thumbs-ups per 90.
2) Joel Matip
Out of contract at the end of the season and has a buggered knee. He is surely off.
1) Mohamed Salah
This is obviously a combination of looking for a nibble or two and being serious. Salah’s move to Saudi Arabia feels inevitable, and with Klopp leaving at the end of the season, we genuinely think the player will go too.
He is out of contract at the end of the 2024/25 season, turns 32 in June, and will still demand a fee in the region of £100million. Even though he is arguably the best in his position in world football, Liverpool will not refuse that offer and the player will probably be more open to the idea of leaving now that Klopp is doing the same.
Liverpool fans might not like it, but this one is written in the stars. Unless Salah fancies a very, very tasty signing-on fee next year.
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