I just can't see Salah signing new Liverpool contract - my hunch is he will go

In his latest column, John Aldridge looks at the threat Liverpool face from a revitalised Chelsea this weekend and the latest contract situation

I just can't see Mohamed Salah signing new Liverpool contract - my hunch is that he will go

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Liverpool are back in action at the weekend – and it begins a period that will say much about where Arne Slot’s team stand at present. Seven games in 20 days is a hectic schedule regardless of the opposition.

But that we come up against so many tough teams means we are going to have to be on top of our game and every player in the squad needs to be on their toes.

It all starts with Chelsea. And the Londoners are playing a lot better than I thought they would be at this stage of the season.

Already under new boss Enzo Maresca, there’s a sense of togetherness in their squad that hasn’t always been there in recent seasons. They have a real team spirit.

And in Cole Palmer they have one of the Premier League's players of the season so far. It’s becoming obvious that it was ridiculous for Manchester City to allow him to leave last year.

To be fair, Chelsea have been buying up an awful lot of decent players in among the not so great ones they have signed under the current ownership.

Their squad hasn’t been built overnight. Indeed, the money they have spent on players has been ridiculous. It’s farcical the way they have been playing the system and have been allowed to keep on doing it.

But it’s made them top-four contenders earlier than many including myself would have anticipated. Since losing at home to City on the opening weekend, they have stabilised matters and have started to look a proper team.

However, they still look susceptible at the back. And Liverpool will be aware of that and they will surely look to their pressing game up top to force the Chelsea defenders into mistakes.

Chelsea’s strength is their attack and we will have to defend as we have done so far this season. We have been conceding fewer chances, and that will probably be put to the test more this Sunday than at any other stage in the season so far. Chelsea are going to have opportunities.

Of course, there’s no Alisson Becker but I have no worries over Caoimhin Kelleher being in goal. Yes, he made a mistake for the Republic of Ireland in Greece on Sunday, but that can to every goalkeeper including Alisson. Kelleher otherwise had a good game.

With due respect to Liverpool’s opponents so far, they haven’t had the quality of Chelsea or the other teams we are soon to face.

But you can only beat what is put in front of you and, with the exception of Nottingham Forest, we’ve done just that.

The players won’t be looking beyond Chelsea, though. The fans might be casting an eye on what’s to come, but as a player you are just looking at the next game. And it is a dangerous one for Liverpool.

My fears over Mohamed Salah

The lack of action during the international break has once again prompted talk about the three Liverpool players who are out of contract at the end of the season.

And my hunch is that while one of the three will stay, one is definitely on his way.

I can see why Virgil van Dijk might fancy another season. He is probably Liverpool’s best player on form.

But I just can’t see Mohamed Salah signing a new deal. It’s a situation that has gone on for too long.

I don’t know if it’s about money, but wherever he goes to next he will be able to command a big signing on fee and good luck to him if so. He’s given Liverpool everything.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s situation, for me, isn’t quite so clear-cut. He loves Liverpool and one day he’d like to be captain. But it’ll all be about what Trent wants in the long run.

In my opinion, his contract should have been sorted a long time ago.

Maybe he fancies a new experience in Spain. Obviously, I left Liverpool for the country way back in 1989 but that situation was slightly different. I didn’t want to leave, but Kenny Dalglish wanted Ian Rush and Peter Beardsley as his forward line. But I couldn’t have picked a better club to go to than Real Sociedad – I loved it there.

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