Wayne Rooney suggests two of Liverpool’s best players are now declining

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Liverpool have endured a tough 2025/26 season, falling well short of their peak from the previous campaign.The Reds have already lost 10 Premier League matches this season and will not secure any silverware after most recently being knocked out of the Champions League by PSG.With a £450m summer transfer spend in 2025 and more additions expected this year, it is clear that Liverpool are now in the early stages of a transitional period, with previously top stars Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk now declining in the eyes of Wayne Rooney. How much better would Liverpool have been if they’d hired an interim manager in January❓🔄 Credit: Sebastian Frej/James Holyoak/MB Media/Getty Images Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk’s current ability questioned by Wayne RooneySpeaking on The Wayne Rooney Show this week, the former Manchester United forward said: “I said this since the start of the season, age gets to us all and your legs go.“I think that’s happened to Salah this season and Van Dijk hasn’t been the same this season.

“They are the leaders in the dressing room. It’s hard for the other players to go and leave their mark or become the leaders.“I don’t think he [Van Dijk] will [leave] but you’ve seen players when they’ve stayed there for too long.”Van Dijk remains a key figure at the heart of Liverpool’s defence and is under contract at Anfield until 2027.However, it has been confirmed that Salah will be leaving after 2025/26 finishes, despite having 12 months left on his deal.The Egyptian’s decline has been especially notable, but Liverpool already have plans in place to replace him this summer.

Is Mohamed Salah Liverpool’s greatest EVER player? Nine years of sheer brilliance are coming to an end… Photo Credit: Getty Images/Stuart Franklin – UEFA/Michael Regan Liverpool’s two main options to replace Mohamed SalahIn reality, it seems unlikely any player who comes in will be able to emulate what the 33-year-old has done at Liverpool.However, with Federico Chiesa also potentially moving on, it is clear that a new winger or two will have to be signed once the transfer window opens up in June.On that front, Yan Diomande has been linked with a move to England for quite a few months now.But it is now being reported that PSG winger Bradley Barcola is likely to join Diomande on Liverpool’s shortlist of targets.Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox