Liverpool has a fourth big contract problem no one is talking about this season

You may have heard the whispers, but three of Liverpool's key players are now .

We all know that these discussions are always ongoing, but the harsh reality that , and are this close to concluding their illustrious Anfield careers is a bit jarring, even though Liverpool remains composed about the trio's situations.

It seems like whatever happens, happens, and while resolutions for all three, or perhaps two out of the three, are still definitely on the cards, you can't help but envision a Liverpool future without them. Devastating, right?

It's certainly not something that should be actively promoted, but if the worst does occur, Liverpool do have players they're counting on to rise to the occasion and become superstars. There's at center-back who has already established himself as Liverpool's dominant defender during an impressive season, and at right-back who, while not possessing the skills of Alexander-Arnold, is an excellent traditional player for the position.

Then in attack, while there may be no direct replacement for Salah - because honestly, who could that be? - there are alternatives, and one of those options is currently outshining the rest.

praised unexpected , saying: "Lucho did really well and it was, even for me, maybe a bit of a surprise to see how well he did," He admitted that while he had high hopes for Diaz, the hat-trick was beyond his expectations: "I played him there for a reason, I expected him to do good but that he played so well that was even a surprise for me."

With , Slot discussed his attacking options: "When we had and available we always played one of those two," and expressed his delight at Diaz's versatility: "To be honest I liked especially the last idea, I think every Liverpool supporter did with Lucho scoring three goals, two as a nine and one as a winger, so that is always interesting to see, but Lucho is also a very good left winger."

Slot hinted at potential tactical shifts: "At this moment we have four attackers available for three positions so we could come up with another idea again but if Diogo comes back and Darwin is back then we have two numbers nines available again."

He subtly indicated a preference for Diaz over Nunez, who, despite his talent, hasn't quite matched the consistency of others.

Diaz has proven to be a reliable asset for Liverpool, having played in 37 out of 38 league games last season - the only exception being during the unfortunate kidnapping incident involving his father. This season, he's added goals to his repertoire, scoring nine times so far compared to 13 in the entirety of last season.

It's no wonder his catchy song is frequently heard at Anfield. However, with his contract set to expire in two years, and considering he's not among Liverpool's top earners, it's clear that Diaz deserves a pay rise given his stellar performances this season.

As he turns 28 in January and enters his prime, his consistent performance on the pitch is evident. If Liverpool doesn't act quickly, there will be plenty of clubs ready to increase his salary.

Lessons should have been learned, and now actions need to be taken.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Mirror by clicking .