Having already lost two of its most experienced players earlier this summer in James Milner and Roberto Firmino, Liverpool looks to be on the verge of saying goodbye to Jordan Henderson and Fabinho as well.
Fabinho looks to be closing in on a move to Saudi Arabia after Liverpool received a $51m (£40m/€46m) offer from Al-Ittihad (as per The Athletic), while Jordan Henderson looks set to be joining him in the Gulf state after a $15m (£12m/€14m) deal was agreed with Al-Ettifaq (as per the ECHO).
Fabinho would arguably be the hardest of the midfield trio to replace given that he is the only natural, senior holding midfielder that Jürgen Klopp has in his squad. But losing multiple players at once would leave a substantial gap.
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With Henderson looking to leave, of course, Klopp will need to name a new Liverpool captain, with the former Sunderland man having taken over from Steven Gerrard in 2015.
Who, in that case, would be a realistic option? Even in the unlikely event Henderson ends up staying, it is a reasonable question to ponder considering Liverpool will be light of its previous vice-captain in Milner and therefore looking for other leaders to step up.
Two of our Liverpool.com writers have had their say, and you can add yours in the comments section below the article.
"Time is right for Trent Alexander-Arnold" - Matt Addison
Let me be clear: in an ideal situation, Liverpool would have kept Henderson and continued with him as captain, although that is not going to happen now. Fabinho is different because of the sum of money involved, but the Reds losing two experienced midfielders in one summer, especially in a transfer window where so much change is already taking place, is a massive risk.
Assuming Henderson does leave, though, I think the time is right for Trent Alexander-Arnold to make the move. At 24, he has won the lot. He is a local player, which counts for something, and someone that is going to be a mainstay in the team for the majority of the next decade.
I actually think that, similar to Gerrard, Alexander-Arnold could move to another level with extra responsibility on his shoulders. Last season, he needed the change of role to get him out of his slump and having that extra thing to think about got the best from him. The captaincy is something that he craves and I'd say, from the outside, that he is ready.
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Virgil van Dijk is, admittedly, the obvious pick. He captained Liverpool last season when Henderson and Milner were missing. Mohamed Salah is also worth a shout. But Henderson has been captain for eight years and Alexander-Arnold could do that and more.
"Virgil van Dijk for captain" - James Martin
Alexander-Arnold's time will come. Provided he opts to stay at Liverpool for the foreseeable future, it seems inevitable he will one day become the captain. But still just 24, there is no rush.
For the time being, Van Dijk would seem like the more obvious candidate in the event that Henderson leaves. He is the captain for his national team, he is probably the most vocal member of the Liverpool side, and he already fulfills the function of organizer while out on the pitch.
He also has plenty of experience wearing the armband for Liverpool. The third in line behind Henderson and Milner, he has acted as captain with increasing regularity as the latter pair have been used that little bit more sparingly, often taking over the role mid-match following a substitution.
For the time being, he's also a mainstay in the side, which is always an advantage. But at 32, he will not be around forever, still leaving a clear pathway for Alexander-Arnold — who could take over as the vice-captain in the meantime. Tempting as it is to turn to the academy golden boy at the first opportunity, Van Dijk seems the clear candidate.
Which writer do you agree with? Have your say in the comments box below.
An original version of this article was first published on July 15.