Liverpool and Manchester City find themselves in the same boat as uncertainty over the future of their top stars rages on

To this day, it is perhaps the clearest illustration of the immense star power both Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola had at their disposal as they battled it out to plunder all of Europe's top honours. Fast forward to now, though, and while Liverpool and City still boast two of the finest squads on the continent, the picture looks quite different.

Two of Liverpool six representatives in the top 20 (Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino) have already left the club, while three of the remaining four (Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold) are out of contract next summer. City, meanwhile, have seen Sergio Aguero, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling depart since then, while fellow nominees Bernardo Silva and Kevin de Bruyne have both been linked with moves away from the Etihad this summer.

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While Guardiola has vehemently shut down reports linking the latter with a switch to the Saudi Pro League, the fact his exit is even being mooted is indicative of the current state of play for both City and Liverpool. De Bruyne is one of the best players of his generation but, at 33, his star is undeniably on the wane.

The midfielder, who has one year remaining on his current deal, missed five months of last season with a hamstring injury and last month told Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws he wasn't opposed to taking a lucrative payday in the latter stages of his career.

"At my age you have to be open to everything," he said. "You're talking about incredible amounts of money in what may be the end of my career. Sometimes you have to think about that."

With those comments in mind, it was unsurprising when reports emerged linking De Bruyne with a move to Al-Ittihad last week - though Guardiola was in no mood to entertain claims his longtime playmaker has agreed personal terms with the Saudi side in a news conference on Monday.

"Kevin isn't going," the Spaniard said ahead of City's pre-season friendly with Celtic in North Carolina. "If someone leaves, we're going to talk about that.

"Of course, until the last day, we have chances (to make transfers). I don't rule it out the option to have new players but I think there is an 85-90% chance we will have the same squad."

Although Guardiola's comments suggest De Bruyne is unlikely to depart this summer, it is hard not to feel his days as City's main man are numbered. While he is still an incredible talent - he registered four goals and 10 assists in the Premier League last term despite being sidelined until the new year - it is his midfield partners, Phil Foden and Rodri, who earned most of the plaudits as City romped to a fourth straight league title.

Foden, in particular, seems to be relishing his new role as City's talisman and was voted the Premier League's Player of the Season in May after a stellar individual campaign. His accession to superstar status coupled with De Bruyne's diminishing influence points to a changing of the guard at the Etihad that, perhaps, mirrors the current situation at Anfield.

Where once the notion of letting Van Dijk and Salah seek pastures new would have been inconceivable, it is now easy to see a universe where both players are allowed to walk away for free next summer. That is not to say neither will sign a new contract however the sense Liverpool are edging ever closer to a future without two of their best ever players grows with every passing week.

Van Dijk, like close friend De Bruyne, has recently been linked with a switch to Saudi Arabia, with reports emerging over the weekend claiming the defender would be open to moving to the Middle East. The Liverpool captain has outwardly remained coy about contract negotiations, admitting he was going to "think carefully" about his future after the Netherlands' Euro 2024 exit earlier this month.

Salah, who speaks far less frequently to the media, has given precious little away about his own future plans however, after being the subject of a bumper Saudi bid last summer, speculation linking him with a transfer to the Gulf state is never too far away. Of course, Trent Alexander-Arnold's future is a different proposition.

At 25, the full-back's next contract is likely to be the biggest and most important of his career. Unlike Salah and Van Dijk, he is nearing his prime and, therefore, will hold most of the cards during contract negotiations, particularly if the reported interest from Real Madrid continues to intensify.

Even for those players not out of contract next summer, it is likely the next couple of years will raise some provocative questions. Alisson Becker, the final member of Liverpool's 2019 Ballon d'or-nominated sextet, has three years left on his current deal. But, like his countryman Ederson, he is not shy of admirers in Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Andy Robertson's contract is set to expire in 2026 and, while the left-back hasn't been at the centre of a transfer saga this summer, that could soon change if he does not pen fresh terms at Anfield. Without doubt, the tide is starting to change for both Liverpool and City and both teams already look very different to how they did five years ago.

With Arne Slot at the helm, the Reds are about to embark on a new era and it remains to be seen how many of the old guard will be along for the ride.