Arne Slot has explained his role in convincing Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold that their long-term futures remain at Liverpool.
As the new campaign gets going, the elephant in the room is that three of Liverpool’s most important players have less than a year left on their contracts.
Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold will all be free to leave the club at the end of the season unless they put pen to paper on extensions, and could even agree a pre-contract deal with sides outside of England from January 1.
The disquiet over new deals is a major concern for supporters, with Liverpool seen to have dropped the ball when it comes to tying the trio down.
Slot is left to work around that issue, then, as his role of head coach is focused purely on football, with matters off the pitch down to the club’s new-look hierarchy.
“The only thing I have to do, what I do with all of them, is bring the best out of them,” he told Sky Sports, when asked by Jamie Carragher his role in persuading his key men to stay.
“If we bring the best out of them and they perform really well, then it’s up to them if they want to sign, it’s up to the club and us if we give them a new contract.
“But the best thing for all of them, if you’re out of contract or not, is give the best performances possible.
“That is where I should and will help them, together with my staff, to bring the best out of them.
“Until now, it’s nothing but positive. Mo came back really strong in terms of physique, Virgil came back really strong, Trent did the same.
“And they brought in some good performances against Ipswich – which was only the first game, like all the others.
“But [I am] trying to get the best out of them and then my main focus is on Brentford and not on contract extensions. But we will see how it works out.”
Though Slot is rightly detached from business matters, it is far from the most positive update when it comes to their futures.
Hopefully, those within Fenway Sports Group along with sporting director Richard Hughes will be working to agree fresh terms with all three players, as despite Salah and Van Dijk being 32 and 33 respectively, they are all still vital.
At least there has been no impact on performance, with there no indication at this stage that any of the players – including Alexander-Arnold – are considering a move.
