Liverpool boss Arne Slot has reaffirmed that the club are deeply engaged in contract negotiations with Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Despite the prospect of all three players being able to discuss potential free transfers with foreign clubs starting January 1, the Reds boss remains calm and focused.
Alexander-Arnold, Salah, and Van Dijk are all set to become free agents at the end of the current campaign.
Under FIFA regulations, they will be eligible to negotiate pre-contract agreements with clubs outside England from New Year’s Day, potentially opening the door to lucrative offers from Europe’s elite teams.
However, Arne Slot has downplayed any concerns about this scenario, emphasizing his trust in the professionalism and commitment of his key players.
“If we would [have made any breakthroughs] then it’s probably not the moment to tell you now,” the Reds head coach said. “In general, I don’t talk about contract situations here. It would be a surprise if I was the one to announce that one of them has extended.
“Keep asking, that’s your job, but you’re probably not going to get an answer from me. It’s clear that from 1 January, maybe for you guys (media), things change a lot but they are in constant talks with the club and let’s wait and see what happens. As long as they keep performing like this, the head coach is happy.”
On captain Van Dijk, Slot added: “It is difficult to judge [if he’s at his best now] because I wasn’t here when Virgil was close to winning the Ballon d’Or, for example (2019).
“He is a tremendous player and has been for so many years for Liverpool. Unfortunately he was out with an injury for almost all of the season (20/21) and that didn’t help this football club at all.
“So that probably tells you how much of an impact he’s had here at this club. I can only tell you about my experiences of him and not only is what you see – because you (the media) see all the games and he is outstanding during the games – but he has such a big impact during training sessions as well.
“He is the vocal leader of the team and every time we start an exercise he is on top of his team-mates and he leads by example. So, for me, he has been outstanding until now and I only hope he can continue showing this during the games and the training sessions as long as he is with us.”
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