Arne Slot receives an ideal suggestion for a Liverpool ‘leader’ as speculation grows over Virgil van Dijk’s ‘hidden transfer’ strategy.

Liverpool could face the loss of three key dressing room leaders at the end of the season, which may require Arne Slot to appoint a new captain.

Nigel de Jong recently highlighted Cody Gakpo as one of the Netherlands’ ‘leaders.’ During the international break, Gakpo played a crucial role in helping his team earn four points in the Nations League, moving up to second place in Group 3A. On Saturday, Gakpo scored from the penalty spot to extend the Netherlands’ lead over Hungary. However, his decision to take the penalty, despite Wout Weghorst having already converted one earlier in the game, sparked controversy.

After the match, Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman criticized Gakpo’s actions, stating it “won’t happen again.” As a consequence, Gakpo was dropped to the bench for the team’s draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Despite this, De Jong praised Gakpo and Denzel Dumfries for their leadership, describing them as “leaders by example” in an Instagram story. He also posted a reflection on the team’s progress, acknowledging room for improvement while urging patience and trust in the process.

If Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Mohamed Salah leave Liverpool upon their contract expirations, Slot will need to assign the captaincy to another player. De Jong’s comments suggest Gakpo could be a strong candidate for the role.

Meanwhile, Liverpool are working against the clock to secure new deals for the trio. Arsenal legend Paul Merson speculated in SportsKeeda that one of them might sign a pre-contract agreement with another club in January. Merson suggested Alexander-Arnold could be the most likely to leave, especially given rumors linking him to Real Madrid. He noted, “The contract situation at Liverpool is getting nervy. If you have six months left and get injured, what happens? Better safe than sorry.”