6 questions Liverpool must answer in 2026 including Mohamed Salah and Marc Guehi calls

Liverpool will be heading into 2026 with plenty of questions for Arne Slot to answer after what has been a disappointing first half of the season, and the answers could define the next 12 months

Arne Slot is looking ahead to 2026(Image: Getty Images)

With just one game remaining of 2025, Liverpool will be looking ahead to what is set to be an intriguing New Year.

The past 12 months have been packed with highs and lows, and as the Reds approach 2026, there is plenty of work for Arne Slot and his team to do.

The priorities are clear. With their Premier League title defense looking like it’s already over, a top-four finish is a must to ensure Champions League football for next season. Speaking of which, Liverpool needs to secure its spot in the knockout stages in Europe, and continue its quest for number seven.

That’s all easier said than done though, and there are plenty of questions that still need answering after what has been a disappointing first half of the season…

What's next for Salah?

The first question is hopefully one that will be answered fairly soon. Slot may have mended some bridges with Mohamed Salah, but the Egyptian's future is far from decided.

This time next week, the January transfer window will be open, and the idea that Salah may have already played his last game for Liverpool can't be ruled out following his outburst against the club. Hopefully, that is not the case, but there is still a major question that needs to be answered - how much longer is he going to be a Liverpool player?

That will depend on what Slot sees as his role going forward, and whether Salah is happy with potentially not being a guaranteed starter anymore. We may get our answer soon once he returns from the Africa Cup of Nations.

Will Konate sign?

Ibrahima Konate's contract saga has dragged on for too long now. With just a matter of months remaining until he becomes a free agent, his future needs to be decided soon.

Ibrahima Konate's contract expires at the end of the season(Image: Getty Images)

The threat of Real Madrid has been looming large again, but the Spanish giant's interest does seem as though it has waned now, and the truth is, Konate might only have himself to blame for that, given how poor some of his performances have been this season.

Although his standards have not been high enough this season, Liverpool still won't want to lose another key component of its team, and if Real is out of the picture, then the club should be pushing Konate to make a call on a new contract at Anfield.

What about Robbo?

Konate isn't the only player entering the final few months of his contract. Andy Robertson finds himself in the same position, albeit his role at the club has changed this season.

Milos Kerkez has clearly been brought in as the long-term option at left-back, and Robertson's playing time is only likely to diminish further as the Hungarian finds his feet at Anfield.

It's for that reason that there probably won't be the same pressure on Robertson to sign a new deal, and after nearly nine years of exemplary service to the Reds, the Scot deserves to have the final say on what he does next.

He won't have any shortage of offers, as was proved by the links with Atletico Madrid last summer, but it would be a shame to see him go. He certainly still has plenty to offer as support to Kerkez, and as the club's vice-captain.

What is Wirtz's best position?

It's taken a while, but we are starting to see why there was so much excitement surrounding the signing of Florian Wirtz during the summer. After a slow start, the German is having more and more influence on games now, and rather excitingly, it still doesn't feel like he's yet hit the heights he's capable of.

Having said that, it's still not all that clear where his best position is for Liverpool. Slot has tinkered with his role on a few occasions, but still doesn't look to have hit upon a final decision.

For the time being, positioning him on the left seems to be working well, but it does feel like Liverpool could get more out of him in the No.10 role. Considering the injuries in attack at the moment though, it might be a while before we see him back there.

Can Ekitike and Isak play together?

Unfortunately, this looks like a question we're going to have to wait a long time for an answer to.

We haven't seen all that much of Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak playing together in the same team. Originally an idea that was floated for Newcastle in the summer, it's Liverpool that has ended up with the opportunity of the all-star strike partnership.

Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike haven't played much together for Liverpool... yet(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Every time Slot gets them both on the pitch though, the experiment invariably comes to an abrupt end. It lasted just 45 minutes at Eintracht Frankfurt, and barely 10 minutes against Tottenham.

And now, with Isak facing months out injured, Liverpool looks as though it will be relying solely on Ekitike for the immediate future. Who knows when we'll get to see the pair together again...

Is Guehi still Liverpool's man?

Even after splashing the cash during the summer window, there is still one glaring area that Liverpool needs to address. The Reds are in desperate need of a new center-back.

Of course, had Crystal Palace not pulled the plug at the eleventh hour, they might have already had one. Marc Guehi's collapsed deadline day deal has proven costly for Liverpool, although there will be another opportunity coming up soon.

The question is, will the Reds try again? And if so, will they go for him in January or wait for him to become a free agent in the summer?

Oliver Glasner seems to have ruled out a January move, and waiting for his contract to expire will present its own risks. There's no way Liverpool would be the only team interested in getting a player like Guehi for nothing.

Slot and Richard Hughes will have to weigh up then whether the England international is still the man they want, or if someone else has overtaken him on their shortlist.