Is this Liverpool’s Last Dance? Reds mirroring Michael Jordan’s iconic Chicago Bulls team

Liverpool’s three main stars are out of contract this summer and it is starting to feeling like it could be the end of an era unless deals get sorted soon

As every week passes, Liverpool’s 2024-25 season starts to feel more like a Merseyside version of The Last Dance. Not everything fits with the comparison to Michael Jordan and the break up of Chicago Bulls’ greatest team as they won their second three-in-a-row run of NBA titles in 1998. Yet there are certainly similarities.

Now none of Virgil van Dijk, Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold quite line up to Jordan in terms of their significance on the sporting landscape worldwide.

But when you listen to defender Van Dijk speak regularly about his future and take questions on it, it certainly does bring back memories of the clips on the Netflix documentary when Jordan is continually being asked if it is his final year with the Bulls.

“You can keep asking the questions but I’ll keep giving the same answers,” Jordan says. Compare that to one of Van Dijk’s most recent responses. I have no idea,” he said. “I still have no idea at the moment. Genuinely. I have no idea at the moment. It is not on hold. Nothing on hold. There’s just… I keep saying the same thing.”

It is quite worryingly similar for Liverpool fans. Who fits the bill as Scottie Pippen or Dennis Rodman? It is more that the comparison is a trio of key players who may move on or may stay being involved in a saga about their future while the team they’re playing in is dominating. Because that’s what Liverpool are doing this season in the Premier League. Dominating. They’re 12 points clear in the title race.

Despite some feelings that the likes of Van Dijk and Salah are getting on in age, they continue to post stunning numbers and put in starring performances. Just like Jordan, Pippen and Rodman did in 1998.

Now who is the Jerry Krause in this story? He was the Bulls’ general manager who was too pig-headed about his own importance and belief he could rebuild the team without Jordan and Co.

In truth, neither Michael Edwards or Richard Hughes stack up to him. For one, they want all three players to stay whereas many believed Krause was happy for the Bulls trio to go, certainly Jordan.

They’re also not as arrogant as Krause was to believe that it will be an easy job to replace such figures. Yet they will need to hope that if all three – and that remains a big if – move on then they won’t want what happened to the Bulls to happen to Liverpool.

Krause couldn’t rebuild the team and Chicago haven’t been close to another NBA title since. Of course, the other loss to that great Bulls side was head coach Phil Jackson.

Jurgen Klopp could be the comparison here but Edwards and Hughes have already found a very good replacement in Arne Slot. That should give Reds fans hope that should any of the three go then sporting director Hughes and football boss Edwards have already shown they have the nous to replace a legend well.

Edwards and Hughes won’t want to be remembered like Krause is in the Netflix documentary. He played the villain, they will want to be the heroes and keep the Reds challenging at the top no matter what happens with the contracts.

There is planning behind the scenes already should the worst-case scenario happen. Liverpool will have a list of replacements in mind. It is starting to look more likely they’ll need a right back either to take Alexander-Arnold’s place or give competition to Conor Bradley. But Salah and Van Dijk’s future remains more of a doubt.

The Last Dance? There’s still a few moves to come but it is starting to feel that way.

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