‘How do you…’ – Adebayo Akinfenwa says what many Liverpool fans will be thinking in blast at club

Adebayo Akinfenwa has echoed the thoughts of many Liverpool supporters in an open criticism of the club over one matter which has lingered uncomfortably over Anfield for some time.

Every Reds fan will be acutely aware that Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are all into the final eight months of their respective contracts, with no discernible sign of any of that crucial trio penning new terms imminently.

There’s been no shortage of speculation about those players’ futures, with the former two in particular being heavily linked with moves away from Merseyside.

Akinfenwa slams Liverpool’s handling of trio’s contracts

Speaking on talkSPORT, ex-AFC Wimbledon striker and ardent Liverpool fan Akinfenwa criticised the Anfield hierarchy for allowing the contracts of three of the club’s most important players to get this close to expiring.

When asked if he’s worried that Salah, Trent and Van Dijk could all leave, the 42-year-old replied: “Have to be, 100%. When you talk about owners and them being business-minded, just on a business front, how do you allow three of your franchise players to all run down [their contracts] at the same time. I just think it’s insane.”

Akinfenwa is right to be aghast

Akinfenwa is quite right to ask why Liverpool’s powerbrokers have slept on the contract situations of three members of the Reds’ on-field leadership group, including the current captain and vice-captain.

It’d be worrying if even one of those were approaching the end of his deal without any signs of a swift resolution, so for that to be trebled points to frankly mind-boggling negligence from the Anfield hierarchy.

Even allowing for the fact that there’s been a lot of upheaval behind the scenes in terms of sporting directors and coaches coming and going, the club would’ve known that Salah, Trent and Van Dijk were all contracted to June 2025, a date which is rapidly approaching.

It seems incomprehensible that Liverpool won’t secure a new deal for at least one of that trio by the end of this year, after which prospective suitors would be free to approach the players about a pre-contract agreement, but the chances of us holding onto all three seem to diminish with each passing week.

The outcome of those three contractual situations could go a long way towards shaping how Richard Hughes’ tenure as sporting director is eventually judged.

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