Liverpool have a problem. Six months later, when their contracts expire, they could lose three of their best players - Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk - for nothing.

It's likely that at least one of the high-profile trio will get a contract extension - Salah, 32, and Virgil van Dijk, 33, are more likely, while 26-year-old Alexander-Arnold looks set to A move to Real Madrid - but the club should certainly consider possible replacements in case the worst happens.

Here’s a look at the new players who might be the best fit at each position next summer.

On the face of it, finding a world-class centre-back wouldn't seem like the trickiest of tasks, given the quality of the candidates. However, Van Dijk is arguably the best centre-back in the world and no amount of statistics or traditional scouting methods can miraculously defeat a point guard who is a natural leader, fast and unparalleled in the air. , and his reading of the game is so good that his technique is so impressive that he barely needs a tackle.

Best for: Jonathan Tah, 28, Bayer Leverkusen

Tah was outstanding for Bayer Leverkusen last season and has been equally dominant this season. Several factors put his profile very close to that of Van Dijk: he is physically strong, is a calm leader, is an excellent distributor of the ball (4.6 progressive passes per 90), and he Excellent passing ability. Reading the game ensures he only goes down as a last resort (0.5 tackles per 90). Additionally, he rarely misses a game due to injury, and his contract is set to expire in the summer, meaning he will be a free agent.

Barcelona and Bayern Munich are reportedly interested in a summer move, while Liverpool remain a number of doubters. Tower barely brought glory to himself during Leverkusen's 4-0 loss at Anfield in November, spending most of his time in a back three and coming to the end of his career. But he is the best candidate to replace Van Dijk.

Other options

Marc Guéhi, 25, Crystal Palace: The England international has been linked with a £70m return from his former club Chelsea, but Liverpool could also be interested. This season, despite being right-footed, he has played as left centre-back in a double team (before Palace manager Oliver Glasner switched to a back three) and even as a defensive midfielder.

Even more to his credit, he captained the club in Joel Ward's absence and was regularly praised for his leadership. He has plenty of pace and defends the box well, but his aerial skills could be improved (low 62% success rate) and his progressive passing could be exposed against teams that have more possession of the ball.

Castro Lukba, 22, RB Leipzig: Lukba has been in the spotlight since his breakthrough at Lyon as a 19-year-old, despite a lackluster first season at Leipzig. Lukba is extremely quick and is also an excellent passer, usually responsible for getting the ball out of the defense.

As a left-footed player, he would naturally fill the role vacated by Virgil van Dijk and, like the Liverpool captain, prefers to use his strength, speed and agility to get away from opponents rather than tackle them. He's still a few years away from his prime.

Ousmane Diomande, 21, Sporting CP: Diomande is one of the strongest defenders around, his aerial skills are excellent and he plays with admirable confidence for a player so young. His ability on the ball is excellent but could be considered too risky and his decision-making still needs to be improved.

He could have been an intriguing signing alongside Van Dijk rather than replacing him.

Mickey van de Veen, 23, Tottenham Hotspur: Van de Ven is one of the fastest centre-backs, he has a strong ability to predict the game, is good at front-foot defense, and is a left-footed player. Few can match the Dutchman's attacking contributions - progressive passing and dribbling - but with 4.5 years left on his contract, Spurs are unlikely to accept offers from rivals.

Alessandro Bastoni, 25, Inter Milan: Another dominant left-footed centre-back. Bastoni's defense is solid - although having the support of two other centre-backs makes life easier - and from an attacking perspective (distribution, ball-carrying) he is one of the most productive players in Europe one. However, his transfer fee is approximately €100 million.

Just like centre-backs, finding a ready-made right-back to replace Alexander-Arnold in European football is tricky. Right-backs at the right age who can achieve their goals on the cheap are in short supply, so it's good that the ideal candidate is already wearing a Liverpool shirt.

Best for: Conor Bradley, 21, Liverpool

Bradley is one of the top U21 right-backs in the Premier League, along with Chelsea's Marlo Gusteau, Manchester City's Rico Lewis and Tottenham Hotspur's Archie Gray. While his technical profile is vastly different to Alexander-Arnold's, his performances are enough to suggest he will thrive as a regular player.

While you may lose Alexander-Arnold's composure, playmaking ability and set-piece ability, with Bradley you gain more classic full-back qualities such as ferocity, high-speed dribbling, ruthless tackling and infectious energy offensive mentality. Bradley may not have produced as much as he would have liked under new head coach Arne Slaughter this season, but considering the youngster's impact off the bench (and his performance last season), He's sure to become a regular soon.

Of course, Liverpool will also need to find a replacement for Bradley, so one solution could be to find a player who can play in both positions.

Other options

Jules Koundé, 26, Barcelona: A player who can actually help replace central defender (Van Dijk) and right-back (Alexander-Arnold). Having excelled in both positions, signing Kounde could prove to be a coup. Finding an undisputed starter for Barcelona and France would likely deviate from Liverpool's usual approach, but given the Catalan club's financial turmoil, opportunities may present themselves. Although Kounde now primarily occupies the right-back position for club and country, he has extensive experience as a center forward, as this was his original position at Sevilla.

Negotiating for an integral player with two years left on his contract is not easy. However, the huge advantages are worth a try. Conde will have little difficulty adapting to the Premier League and will give Slott the confidence to attack from the back, the speed to push the defensive line up the pitch and the smarts to intercept the ball early.

Amar Dedic, 22, Red Bull Salzburg: If you promote Bradley, you'll need a backup, and the Bosnia and Herzegovina international could be a good choice. He may not be on fire since his stellar debut season two years ago, but with his versatile, aggressive take on the right-back role, Dedic is worth watching. He successfully received the ball in the opposition half 2.7 times and regained possession 3.5 times per 90 minutes, which paints a picture of a defender who is extremely attack-minded and can switch into pressing mode at a moment's notice.

Dedic is also comfortable with his left foot and could even serve as a long-term replacement for Andy Robertson at left-back where Liverpool's depth is questionable.

If the other two are difficult, things get more complicated here. How do you replace a striker/winger hybrid who is guaranteed to score over 20 goals a season, have a ton of assists, and is playing the best football of his life at the age of 32?

There is no shortage of creative thinking at the top of Liverpool's hierarchy, but even with their good record, they face challenges here. Most similar replacements - think Arsenal's Bukayo Saka, Chelsea's Cole Palmer or Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior - are untouchable, and an up-and-coming youngster can't quite reach Saka's level yet. Lage's data.

The most likely way out for the club is a team effort, but if Salah leaves then at least a new attacker will be needed to get more goals for the team, in addition to the tactical measures Slott can put in place. . Recruiting an out-and-out center is arguably the most logical step.

Best for: Victor Osimhen, 26, Galatasaray (on loan from Napoli)

After a bizarre half-year loan move to Galatasaray, the Nigeria international remains one of the most prolific forwards in world football. While he has been successful in Turkey (10 goals in 13 league appearances), some suitors - Chelsea and Manchester United reportedly among them - may have moved on to other targets due to a lack of clarity in negotiations with Napoli. But he does reportedly have a release clause of €75 million, which will come into effect at the end of the season.

While Osimhen is unlikely to settle for much less than Salah is earning now, the 26-year-old remains one of the top forwards in the box, with enough pace and experience to score 20-plus goals with ease. A season in the Premier League.

Other options

Benjamin Cesco, 21, RB Leipzig: Young and full of potential, Sesco is more of a typical Liverpool signing. The 6ft 5in Slovenia international was likely already under consideration before the club decided to give Darwin Nunez more time to settle last summer.

Although Sesco is highly regarded in Europe for his finishing prowess, long-distance running and opportunistic positioning, he poses an interesting dilemma for Liverpool. Can they justify paying the required €70 million to sign a center forward who averages just 14 goals per season in the Bundesliga? Should they wait until he averages 20 points per game? If they do, will other clubs move in first?

Alexander Isaac, 25, Newcastle United: When you look for a striker in the Premier League to score more than 20 goals in a single season, the Sweden international is the closest guarantee. With three years left on his contract, the chances of poaching him from St James' Park are slim to none, no matter how keen Newcastle are on making cuts and any transfer would be in excess of £100m.

Victor Guicres, 26 years old, Sporting CP: Isak's strike partner in Sweden may have scored a goal in every league game he played for Sporting Lisbon (50 out of 50) but spent €80m to bring in Nuno from Benfica in the same league. After Niez, this was not a starter at all. As unfair as it may seem - different teams, different skills, different nationalities - Liverpool (whether the analysis thinks they should do it or not) would certainly leave this €80m bet to Manchester United because he is at the top He only had a year or two in the league under his belt. If they regret it, they will take the punch.

Jonathan David, 25, Lille: If Jota and Nunez are not already on Liverpool's roster, David could be a good option. His contract expires this summer and he is a top-notch finisher with great athletic ability and a lot of upside. But he is not Salah's legal heir. At this stage of his development, adding the Canada international would unnecessarily hinder the attacking sequence.