Liverpool's record goalscorer Ian Rush admits no-one is bigger than the club but hopes contract renewals can still be agreed for the star trio of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

On Sunday, captain Van Dijk said there was no change in his situation which means, like his two team-mates, he has 10 months remaining on his current deal.

The Netherlands international is 33, the age Salah will be next summer, but they remain key players and have an even more significant role in the first season under new head coach Arne Slot.

Alexander-Arnold is reaching his peak years as he turns 26 in October but has already proved to be a pivotal figure.

“No-one is bigger than the club but they’ve got a year left so hopefully the three of them are good for another three years at Liverpool,” he told the PA news agency.

“They are great players and personally I’d love to see them stay but we have to look at every situation.

“I think the players don’t think of the situation, I think they just want to play.”

Uncertainty over their futures is the last thing Slot wants as he prepares to embark on the first season without Klopp at Anfield in nine years.

While deals remain unsigned, the Dutchman will continue to face questions about the subject, even though that responsibility lies with new sporting director Richard Hughes.

But with so much upheaval over the summer, Rush hopes the ongoing debate about the three players will not undermine a promising pre-season.

“It would be nice (to have agreements) but at the end of the day that is what Richard Hughes gets paid to do,” he added at the recent reopening of the Liverpool Museum.

“I think the way forward now is to get the start of the season under way. It’s not just 11 on the pitch, it’s the whole squad.

“Individuals will win you games but you need to be in a team. If Slot can get that team spirit I am sure they’d want to stay at Liverpool.”

Rush is also optimistic the former Feyenoord boss can handle the expectations on him as he seeks to fill the huge void left by his predecessor.

“He’s got a great reputation and I think Liverpool know which managers to get so I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

“He knows what he wants and is similar to Jurgen in a way. It’s the way forward. I like the way he plays.

“I watched Feyenoord last season and they play attacking football, which is what Liverpool supporters want, so hopefully there is not a lot to change.

“We have to manage expectations but if you said to me last season that Liverpool would finish in the top four I’d have taken it all day long.

“At one stage we were in a position to win four trophies and won one but I’d have taken the top four.

“If Slot took over last year it would have been more difficult than what he is doing now. Hopefully you’d be looking to make the top four again and have a good run in competitions.

“But the main thing is to say ‘Don’t get any lower than what we finished (third)’.”

The Liverpool Squad's Contract Expiry Dates

Rousing The Kop looks into the contract expiry dates for every senior Liverpool player in the 2024/25 squad, including each star due to leave Anfield in the summer of 2025.

Every contract will expire on June 30 in the respective years, leaving Liverpool with decisions to make on several players. A host of players have left Merseyside in recent years as a free agent as the Reds elected to let their terms lapse, including Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara.

A new hierarchy also decides the contracts of the Liverpool first-team squad after FSG hired Michael Edwards as its CEO of football operations and Richard Hughes as the Reds’ sporting director. FSG also hired Arne Slot to replace Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool’s head coach in 2024.

Slot and the Anfield hierarchy are always evaluating each Liverpool first-team player and are alert to when their contracts expire to decide who to keep and who to sell. The wage of any Liverpool player and how much Liverpool paid to sign their first-team are also prime factors.

Decisions on which players Liverpool will keep and who to let go as free agents must also be finalised by June 30 in the respective years their contracts expire. So, with that in mind, here is the full contract situation of the Liverpool squad, with * denoting any options to extend…

An Uncertain Future for the Reds

With Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah all entering the final 12 months of their current deals this summer, it's worth knowing when other stars could be nearing an exit.

Excitement is building as Liverpool prepares to kick off its 2024-25 Premier League campaign this weekend but the contract situations of three major stars continues to dampen proceedings.

Key players Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have all entered the final 12 months of their current deals at Anfield as it appears little has been done in the way of resolving the trio's long-term futures at the club.

While none of them are likely to leave in the current transfer window, there are fears that other clubs can snap them up on pre-contract agreements when January rolls around, should Liverpool fail to tie them down to new long-term deals.

What Happens Next?

With the season starting this weekend, all eyes will be on Liverpool and their trio of stars. Will they be able to secure new deals, or will they be playing for their futures in the coming months? Only time will tell.