Liverpool to lose $46M worth of talent as familiar transfer problem reappears

Liverpool has allowed several players to leave Anfield on a free transfer in recent years, with Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson both departing Merseyside this summer

Arne Slot will lose some more key players this summer(Image: Getty Images)

While Liverpool and Arne Slot compete in the final six matches to secure Champions League qualification for next term, another off-field restructure looms with Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson departing the club.

The Reds will say goodbye to their Premier League-winning stalwarts at the season's end when their deals run out. The Egyptian's exit comes one year into his two-year deal, after the player's representatives and the club mutually agreed to part ways.

Salah concludes a trophy-filled nine-year spell on Merseyside, having almost single-handedly propelled Liverpool to a second league title in five campaigns last term. The Reds had battled to retain Salah in recent seasons following Saudi Arabian soccer's emergence, which attracted numerous European talents with lucrative opportunities.

Reports indicate that Tottenham is in advanced discussions with Robertson following its unsuccessful January approach.

The Scotland skipper becomes the latest prominent departure from Liverpool following a succession of players who left Anfield without a transfer fee, with the latest pair adding to Liverpool's financial losses from missed transfer income.

Transfermarkt utilizes its database to assess player valuations, and based on figures from around the period of the Liverpool players' respective departures, the Reds have forgone substantial transfer income.

Andy Robertson is leaving Liverpool on a free transfer(Image: Getty Images)

Salah's looming exit comes 12 months after his Player of the Season campaign.

According to Transfermarkt data, the veteran Liverpool forward is valued at approximately £26 million ($35.1 million), while Robertson is estimated at around £8.7 million ($11.8 million). That amounts to $46.9 million worth of talent.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's departure ranks among the most controversial transfers in recent memory, following the Liverpool academy product's move to Real Madrid last season.

The full-back was amongst three players, alongside Virgil van Dijk and Salah, whose contracts expired at the conclusion of their title-winning season. The England international allowed his Anfield deal to expire amid a widely-publicized dispute.

Los Blancos paid £10 million ($13.5 million) to secure the full-back's early release from his contract and ensure his arrival ahead of the Club World Cup in North America. The transfer represented a financial hit of approximately £55 million ($74.3 million), given that Alexander-Arnold was valued at £65 million ($87.8 million) at the time of his exit.

In recent years, Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Georginio Wijnaldum have all departed without a fee.

Firmino concluded his distinguished spell at Anfield to a standing ovation as he bid farewell to Merseyside. The Brazilian, aged 31 at the time, left without a transfer fee after his contract expired, heading to the Saudi Pro League, where he was valued at roughly £15.7 million ($21.2 million)

Keita's five-year stint was plagued by injuries before his move to Germany, while Wijnaldum was allowed to join Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, despite being valued at around £26 million ($35.1 million).