The business end of the Premier League season usually brings a sense of clarity on the pitch, but off it, the picture is becoming increasingly clear regarding the looming departures at Anfield.
As Liverpool navigate the final hurdles of the campaign, the focus has inevitably shifted from points tallies to the growing pile of expiring contracts.
While a significant portion of the Anfield dressing room is understandably preoccupied with their own immediate futures, the conversation surrounding the Egyptian King continues to simmer in the background.
It is now nearly a year since Salah put pen to paper on that extension until 2027. That deal was supposed to provide a period of much-needed stability.
However, football has a funny way of shifting the goalposts.
With his 34th birthday on the horizon and a return of just seven goals so far this season hardly the vintage numbers we’ve come to expect, the pragmatists among the fanbase are already asking the difficult questions.
Arne Slot has done his best to play down the December mixed-zone drama. However, with the Saudi Pro League and now MLS reportedly circling, the prospect of cashing in this summer is no longer the heresy it once was.
Unsurprisingly, plenty of transfer rumours are surfacing as to who could come in and replace the magical Egyptian. For example, Jarrod Bowen is even touted to make a shock switch from West Ham United to Arne Slot’s men.
Back to the matter at hand, though, and there is a whole raft of personnel at Anfield that could depart the club this approaching summer…
The Liverpool players set to leave
Liverpool expiring contracts (summer 2026):
| Player | Position | Age |
| Andy Robertson | LB | 31 |
| Ibrahima Konate | CB | 26 |
| Trey Nyoni | CM | 18 |
| Freddie Woodman | GK | 28 |
| Rhys Williams | CB | 25 |
| Viteslav Jaros | GK | 24 |
The six players listed above could all head for the Anfield exit in the coming months. Behind the scenes, the club is clearly prioritising certain signatures while allowing other negotiations to stall.
Indeed, it looks likely that Rhys Williams will leave the building. The homegrown defender’s last senior minutes fell way back in the 2020/21 season. This was long before Slot took on the reins post-Jurgen Klopp.
On the other end of the spectrum, Liverpool will hope they can agree a renewed deal with Ibrahima Konate, with the Frenchman turning around his Reds career in recent weeks. In fact, he was branded as “outstanding” by Virgil Van Dijk, after the 1-0 win over Sunderland was heroically secured.
Negotiations continue behind the scenes for Ibrahima Konate, with Liverpool desperate to avoid losing the center-back for nothing this summer.
Robertson’s situation, however, feels far more certain. With no new contract on the table and a lifetime’s ambition to play for Celtic, the Scotland captain is already weighing up his options north of the border.
Robertson could have new destination wrapped up
Robertson, once an undisputed stalwart under Jurgen Klopp, has seen his status at Anfield crumble this season. Milos Kerkez hasn’t just challenged for the left-back spot; he has seized it as his own.
The contrast in Robertson’s fortunes is stark. Last season, he started 29 games as he helped steer Arne Slot’s side to a triumphant Premier League title.
This time around, however, the Scotland captain has managed a meager five starts in all competitions. Slot’s preference for the younger, more dynamic Kerkez has left the veteran defender fighting a losing battle for his Liverpool future.
Robertson’s declining minutes (24/25) vs (25/26):
| Metric | 24/25 season | 25/26 season |
| Appearances | 33 | 15 |
| Starts | 29 | 5 |
| Minutes played | 2431 mins | 631 mins |
For nearly a decade, Robertson has been the heartbeat of the Liverpool dressing room. He is a player whose lung-bursting runs and relentless grit have become synonymous with the most decorated era in the club’s modern history.
With 366 appearances and a trophy cabinet that boasts every major honour possible, the idea of a Liverpool XI without the “Scotsman in the engine room” still feels like a significant shock to the system.
Yet, as the Reds prepare for a summer of transition under Arne Slot, the feeling that he is nearing the end of his Anfield journey is beginning to gather pace.
The left-back’s presence at Celtic Park for their midweek clash with Stuttgart didn’t go unnoticed. While the club remains officially tight-lipped, the optics are hard to ignore.
A move to Glasgow would represent a full-circle moment for a player who has never hidden his boyhood affection for the Hoops. After nine years of giving everything to the Liverpool cause, it appears the vice-captain may finally be ready to swap the Kop for a homecoming at Parkhead.
Playing a big part in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain moving to Glasgow, too, who he once played alongside at Liverpool, it does seem to have all the makings of Robertson uprooting to his homeland when his Reds deal expires.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has already hit the ground running in Glasgow, finding the net for Celtic since making the switch.
It’s exactly the kind of regular football Andy Robertson is now craving, and the chance to secure more minutes at Parkhead could be the deciding factor in a move this summer.
The full-back now eyes a move to Celtic to finally realize a lifelong boyhood dream Notably, Robertson once declaring – “I think I’ve always said I’d love to pull on a Celtic top and to play. I’ve obviously played for Dundee United, which I loved.
But you never say never, you’re a long-time retired as they say.
I want to play as long as I can, and if that’s finishing up in Scotland, or at one point going up to Scotland, then I would be open to it.
But my ideal situation is probably finishing down – with hopefully a couple more trophies – at Liverpool.”
Of course, he could be kept around all the same. There is still time on the Reds’ side to extend their beloved servant’s deal, before May comes around.
