Perhaps not without pathos, but Liverpool supporters have accepted lionised manager Jurgen Klopp's departure at this point, with the German targetting one last hurrah and battling for silver-laden success in the Premier League and Europa League, with the Carabao Cup already bagged.
Harder to embrace, however, would be the loss of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is out of contract in 2025 and has, as it stands, not entered negotiations for a fresh deal.
The Scouse-born Liverpool vice-captain is the homegrown star that every fan adores, the celestial playmaker with jaw-dropping creative ability – he's a "genius", as has been said by reporter Neil Jones.
Alongside full-back pal Andy Robertson, the 25-year-old is the highest-assisting defender in Premier League history, and supporters can only envisage a future with him at the centre of the Anfield pitch – figuratively and, perhaps, literally, given his inevitable and inexorable shift into the centre of the park from right-back.
His is not the only contract FSG's CEO of Football Michael Edwards and Liverpool's sporting director Richard Hughes need to deal with though, with Mohamed Salah's contract also expiring at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
Mohamed Salah's season in numbers
Salah has been at Liverpool for some time now, instrumental in the whole gamut of silverware secured under Klopp's management, and while he's no longer the dribble-happy player of seasons ago, the 31-year-old is polished and sharpened to a fine point.
It's remarkable, really. This season, the Egypt international has posted 21 goals and 13 assists for Liverpool across all competitions, despite starting just 25 games.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored and touches in the attacking penalty area, the top 1% for assists and the top 20% for progressive passes per 90, utterly deadly in the final third.
While there have been a myriad of Liverpool players who have enjoyed meteoric rises under Klopp's wing – Alexander-Arnold very much at the forefront – none surpass Salah, who arguably slots into the all-time Premier League starting 11.
Mohamed Salah's rise in value at Liverpool
Signed from AS Roma for £34m, a few eyebrows were raised when Liverpool forked out a sizeable sum in 2017 for a winger who had previously failed to make the grade at Chelsea.
But having now decorated himself in hordes of honours, both for the team and individual, Salah is regarded as one of the eminent forwards of his generation.
Alan Shearer
260
0.59
Harry Kane
213
0.67
Wayne Rooney
208
0.42
Andy Cole
187
0.45
Sergio Aguero
184
0.67
Frank Lampard
177
0.29
Thierry Henry
175
0.68
Robbie Fowler
164
0.43
Jermain Defoe
162
0.33
Mohamed Salah
154
0.61
To emphasise this point, Liverpool warded off interest from the Saudi Pro League for their £350k-per-week maverick last summer, with Al-Ittihad launching a £150m bid late into the window.
Liverpool snubbed the feeble approach; no amount of money would compensate for the talisman's departure right before the start of the campaign, but such opulent outfits retain a vested interest in Salah's services and given he's out of contract in 2025, Liverpool will need to agree to new terms with the player, lest he leave for free at the end of his deal.
And given that that £150m figure marks a 341% increase in value since he joined from Serie A, it would be ludicrous to allow such a thing to happen.
Without question, Salah is one of the finest attacking players in Liverpool's history, and Edwards and co better get to work swiftly, losing him or Alexander-Arnold at the predawn of a new era would be a calamity.
