Edwards must sell Liverpool’s “pointless” star

Liverpool are facing a potentially huge summer transfer window with three of their biggest stars set to become free agents at the end of June.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah are all out of contract at the end of this season, which means that they will be free to discuss moves elsewhere unless the club can agree fresh terms with them.

As it stands, there have not been any reports that suggest that any of them are set to sign extensions at Anfield, but none of them have been signed by another team, which means that there is plenty of time left.

As you can see in the table above, losing Salah – in particular – would be a significant blow for Arne Slot and his side because the winger has been in sensational form this season in the Premier League.

The Reds will need other players to step up and carry the load at the top end of the pitch if the Egypt international does move on from Anfield ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Of the stars currently at the club, former PSV forward Cody Gakpo is, perhaps, best placed to step up and establish himself as the main man for Slot.

Cody Gakpo’s incredible form this season

The Netherlands international has racked up 16 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions for the Reds so far this term, matching his tally from 53 outings in the 2023/24 campaign.

This shows that he has improved his output in the final third, with as many goals in 13 fewer matches, since Slot arrived on Merseyside with his 4-3-3 set-up, predominantly utilising Gakpo on the left flank – cutting in on his right foot.

Make no mistake, Salah has been the main man for Liverpool this season but the Dutch winger has also played a significant role in the team’s success on the pitch.

Gakpo scored five goals and provided four assists in five appearances in the League Cup in the run-up to the final, only to miss out on a place in the starting line-up at Wembley as he recently returned from injury. Slot may wonder if the result would have been different if they had his attacking qualities on the pitch from the start.

As you can see in the table above, the 25-year-old winger has also offered a big threat at the top end of the pitch in the Premier League, outperforming his xG and being unlucky to only have three assists to his name.

Liverpool may hope that he can add even more goals to his game and become an established star for the Reds if Salah moves on this summer, as a result of more responsibility being placed on his shoulders – despite him not being one of the most highly-paid players at the club.

According to Capology, Gakpo is currently on a wage of £120k-per-week and that does not even earn him a place in the top ten earners at Anfield this season.

That speaks to the value-for-money that the Reds have got out of the Dutch sensation this term, because he has been a terrific performer despite not being one of the highest earners, but it also suggests that the club may not be getting value for their money from other forwards.

As you can see in the table above, there are ten players in the current Liverpool squad who earn more than Gakpo does at this moment in time, including Diogo Jota.

The Portugal international started the League Cup final against Newcastle on Sunday and put in the type of performance that explains why Liverpool chief Michael Edwards should ruthlessly cash in on someone who’s been described as a “pointless footballer” by one Liverpool content creator.

Why Liverpool should cash in on Diogo Jota

Jota failed to get his only shot attempt on target and completed just 40% of his attempted passes, whilst losing three of his four ground duels, at Wembley.

Quite simply, the Liverpool number 20 did not do anywhere near enough to cause problems for Fabian Schar and Dan Burn, who had a relatively easy time keeping him quiet.

It was a laboured performance from the 28-year-old forward and one that has become all-too-familiar to Slot and the supporters in the 2024/25 campaign, as the striker has failed to offer consistent quality at the top end of the pitch.

Jota, who earns £20k more per week than Gakpo, has only scored eight goals in 29 appearances in all competitions for the Reds this season, half as many as his Dutch teammate has scored.

The Portuguese attacker’s form in both the Premier League and the Champions League this term has been a cause for concern, as he has struggled quite badly.

As you can see in the table above, Jota has underperformed against his xG in both competitions, scoring just five goals in 22 matches, and has created very little for his teammates at the same time.

This shows that the former Atletico Madrid man has not made enough of the opportunities that his teammates have created for him, as he has missed 12 ‘big chances’ to go along with those five goals, which means that Slot cannot rely on him to perform week-in-week-out.

TEAMtalk recently reported that Wolverhampton Wanderers are keeping tabs on his situation at Anfield ahead of a possible swoop for his services in the upcoming summer transfer window.

With this in mind, Edwards must brutally cash in on the Portuguese dud who has not offered enough on the pitch this season to justify his £140k-per-week wages, particularly in comparison to Gakpo’s contributions as part of the front three.

Therefore, Liverpool must take advantage of the interest from Wolves to move on from the 28-year-old forward, who has been unreliable in front of goal this season, in order to make room for Slot to bring his own signings in to bolster the playing squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.