‘On that slope’ – Graeme Souness voices concerns over two Liverpool players who are in ‘decline’ | OneFootball

Graeme Souness has namechecked two Liverpool players who he believes are now in ‘decline’ at Anfield.

In April of this year, Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk both signed two-year contract extensions for the Reds, with the long-serving duo having been due to depart as free agents in the summer for most of last season.

The Egyptian will have just turned 35 when his current deal expires in June 2027, while the club captain will be a week out from his 36th birthday, with the LFC duo well into the twilight of their careers by then.

Souness concerned by Van Dijk and Salah ‘decline’

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Souness singled out the Dutch defender’s performance in the Community Shield in August as a sign that his best days are behind him, while also citing similar concerns about our number 11.

The former Reds captain and manager said: “Virgil van Dijk is now 34 and he made two mistakes in the Community Shield – he was at fault for both goals just by being six inches too late.

“There is no doubt about it, at 34 the decline has started – he is still a wonderful player, but he will be on that slope and the same with Mohamed Salah – that worries me.”

(Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

Van Dijk and Salah have dropped off, but both remain vital

Van Dijk and Salah have both set such consistently high standards at Liverpool for so long that, even when putting in 7/10 performances, they’re perceived to be having a bad game.

They both remain crucial players for Arne Slot’s side, although it’d be fair to claim that neither has been close to their best so far this season.

Souness highlighted the marginal reduction in pace which has prevented the centre-back from stopping goals he’d have cut out in his prime, though while he’s part of a collective defensive malaise this term, he’s also had to compensate for the errors of players alongside him.

Salah has only netted five goals for Liverpool this term and it’s nearly the end of November. At the same stage in 2024/25, he’d scored 12 times in all competitions and supplied 10 assists, with his output sharply declining from 12 months ago.

There’s been plenty of revisionism from pundits who’ve claimed that Anfield chiefs were short-sighted in extending the duo’s contracts. Isn’t it amusing how different the narrative was throughout last season when it felt as though the pair might leave in the summer?

Giving Van Dijk and Salah new deals was a no-brainer, considering what they’d done for the club not just historically but in the recent past.

They’re both having a disappointing campaign by their standards, but if LFC are to emerge from their current rut and enjoy a satisfying season, we’re sure that both will be vital contributors to that success.