Keep or sell? Darwin Nunez, Mohamed Salah and the transfer decisions Liverpool must make this summer

The biggest and toughest call of the summer? Salah is Liverpool's talisman, still their most reliable source of goals by some distance, but he's 32 in June and has just one year left on his contract - if the Reds don't sell him now, they'll never get big money for a player that seems destined to eventually end up in Saudi Arabia anyway.

Replacing him will be nigh on impossible. We're talking about a Premier League legend here, one of the finest players ever to grace England's top flight, and the word is that Liverpool are even entertaining the idea of offering Salah a new contract. That's somewhat understandable, given Salah looks like he could continue shining at the highest level for a few more years yet.

But it's hard not to shake the suspicion that cashing in on Salah while they still can makes the most financial sense for everyone involved, particularly as the Egyptian is showing signs of wear and tear for the very first time in his career - and is clearly not the kind of character that would take kindly to being rotated as he gets older.

Verdict: Sell - but only if another massive offer is made from the Middle East.

What on earth to do with Darwin Nunez? The Uruguayan has come on leaps and bounds this season, as underlined by his haul of 31 goal involvements. Only Salah (25) has scored more times than Nunez (18), while they both have 13 assists to their name.

And yet doubts persist. Why? Because Nunez continues to fluff his lines on the game's grandest stages. There have been several decisive displays this season, but 'Captain Chaos' has squandered so many chances in massive matches towards the tail end of the campaign, and he's hardly helped quell the speculation surrounding his future by deleting every image of himself in a Liverpool shirt on his Instagram page - bar his profile pic.

Still, Nunez has done enough to deserve another chance to realise his full potential at Anfield, which is just as well, really, given no club in Europe would be willing to offer anything remotely close to the £64 million ($80m) Liverpool paid for the striker's services in 2022.

Verdict: Keep - unless a big-money bid unexpectedly arrives.

Liverpool's defence has collapsed during the final two months of the season, failing to keep a clean sheet in nine consecutive Premier League matches. As club captain and, more importantly, the leader of the back four, Virgil van Dijk has to accept his share of the blame for that rotten record.

However, things would have gone a lot worse without the Dutchman, who has rediscovered something resembling his best form this season. He ranks second at Liverpool for possession won and duels won, while nobody has come close to winning as many headers or making as many blocks.

Van Dijk has also stated that he wants to be part of the new era under Slot, and Netherlands legend Marco van Basten has already argued that the 32-year-old should relish the incoming coach's style of play.

There is, as Van Dijk said himself, "a big transition" coming, and it will definitely run a lot smoother if the veteran centre-back plays an integral role in the inevitable period of adjustment. So, the real question regarding Van Dijk's future is not whether he will stay, but who should play alongside him next season.

Verdict: Keep!

Just like Salah and Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold has just one year left on his contract, but his situation is very, very different to theirs in that Liverpool's homegrown hero is approaching his peak years and has some of Europe's top clubs sniffing around.

Indeed, the word is that Real Madrid would love to sign Alexander-Arnold this summer. Having already won all there is to win at his hometown club, the 25-year-old may well be tempted by the prospect of joining Jude Bellingham at the Bernabeu, and Florentino Perez would obviously be willing to pay a hefty fee to make it happen.

However, as former striker Daniel Sturridge said on Sky Sports on Sunday, "Liverpool have got to do everything in their power to get Trent to sign on the dotted line." Much is made of his defensive deficiencies, but it's worth noting that even though injury has restricted Alexander-Arnold to just 25 starts in all competitions this season, only two Liverpool players have won possession more times than the ridiculously versatile right-back, while his incredible importance to the attack is underlined by the fact that he ranks second for chances created and successful crosses.

Verdict: Keep at all costs!

An immensely popular player but a very curious case. Luis Diaz is easily the best dribbler at the club and he's a constant thorn in the side of opposition full-backs. The Colombian causes all sorts of problems with his relentless running and quick feet, while only Salah (80) and Alexander-Arnold (78) have created more chances for Liverpool this season.

However, there is a legitimate question mark over Diaz's end product. He has 18 goal involvements but has netted fewer times than Diogo Jota despite starting twice as many games - and young right-back Conor Bradley has racked up more assists. He's also only managed seven successful crosses all season - which is just not good enough for an elite-level winger.

Given some of Spain's top sides are said to be interested in a player constantly linked with a move to La Liga by his father, Liverpool would have a big decision to make if, for example, Barcelona were to come calling this summer.

Verdict: Sell - but only if the price is right.

Liverpool have been blessed to have "the best No.2 goalie in the world" on their books for so long. Whereas losing a shot-stopper like Alisson Becker would have been a disaster for most clubs, the Brazilian's absence this season barely registered thanks to Caoimhin Kelleher, who played a pivotal role in the Carabao Cup final win over Chelsea with a string of sensational saves.

Even when he made a mistake, it came during a game, against Atalanta, in which he came to Liverpool's rescue on several occasions, and it's worth noting that the Irishman was in goal when the team last kept a clean sheet in the Premier League, against Nottingham Forest in March.

Holding onto Kelleher would, thus, be a big positive, as it's hard to find such quality back-up. However, letting him leave feels like the right move for everyone involved. Kelleher is 25 now and is far too good to be playing the role of understudy, while his sale - most probably to a mid-table Premier League side - would raise precious funds to strengthen the squad elsewhere.

Verdict: Sell