Slot Unconcerned By Salah Comments, Their Focus Is Real

The summer of 2024 was always going to be a huge one for Liverpool as not only were they set to deal with managerial and coaching changes following Jurgen Klopp’s prior announcement that he would be moving on from Anfield at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, it was also set to be a big summer on the pitch as a number of key players in their first team squad were entering the final 12 months of their existing contracts.

With the Arne Slot decision taken early, that did help the club find some stability through the summer and as everyone in the wider world of football knows, the 46 year old former Feyenoord gaffer has taken to life at the club very well indeed and more than made the dug out his own.

12 Games In:

12 games into his first Premier League season, the Dutchman has overseen ten wins with one draw and with a positive 16 plus goal difference, they are currently sitting eight points clear at the top of the table with 31 points on the board. Fans may well have used the November international break to look into the growing popularity of casino crypto games, but the pause in the domestic fixture list did not interrupt their momentum. Their Champions League campaign is also going incredibly well and they are thriving in the newly changed format. Four games in they have the maximum 12 points and sit in second place in the table, with the second best goal difference out of the remainder of the sides – Spanish La Liga giants Barcelona are in top spot, joint on 12 points but they have played an additional game at the time of writing.

Whilst fans will naturally be delighted with how Slot has settled into life at the club and got the team performing, the fact remains that their player contract concerns have not gone away and as we continue to edge nearer to the New Year, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk remain out of contract next summer, and are free to begin negotiations (and sign a pre contract agreement) with clubs in other European leagues when the January transfer window opens.

It looks likely that a new one year deal could soon be struck with 33 year old Van Dijk, but the news surrounding Alexander-Arnold strongly suggests that he could well be off to Spain and Real Madrid, particularly in light of his more recent comments about being focused on winning the prestigious Ballon d’Or over and above, presumably, any other types of success in the game.

Questions Over Salah

So that leaves 32 year old Egyptian wizard Salah who has already been subject to a huge offer from the Saudi Arabian Pro League, and he recently broke his silence after taking his goal tally to the year to 12 following a brace at St Mary’s Stadium in their 3-2 victory over Southampton, and he was quite pointed in his comments as he stated ‘We are almost in December and I haven’t received any offers yet to stay in the club. I’m probably more out than in.’

This news was obviously not well greeted by those in their fan base and like Salah when saying he was ‘disappointed’ at they, they would have been as well, especially as it is well known that talks have long been taking place between the two parties and many would have thought some kind of offer would now be on the table as a backstop, even if the finer points of the deal were still being discussed.

Whilst talks are ongoing though, and a Liverpool source has implied they are positive, Salah was also clear that he has no plans to retire yet, so fans will be hoping quick progress is now made.

His comments certainly caused some controversy in the media, with Jamie Carragher labelling him ‘selfish’ for his comments especially as the club face a big week in terms of the upcoming fixtures, however, fellow pundit Chris Sutton felt it was a clever move by the player to put pressure on the club to find an agreement, believing his decision to comment to the press clearly shows that he would prefer to stay.

With that topic bubbling on in the background, Slot refused to become distracted by it as he met with the media to discuss the Real Madrid match, and the weekend’s clash with Manchester City. He was also adamant that Salah himself would not be distracted by the issue, despite him raising it.

Being quite cute in his response, Slot answered ‘The only thing I can say is, if I look at my line ups, Mo is more in than out’.

Adding that even when questions about his contract were asked back in September, Salah has simply continued to perform well and has been consistent in his goal scoring form, so he feels that even with the topic in the news again, it will make no material difference to his approach or focus, and he felt that this had been suitably demonstrated by his approach to training earlier in the day.

Fans will be hoping that proves to be true on Wednesday evening, and that Salah’s form continues for the remainder of the year – as well as obviously that a new deal does in fact get done, as he would certainly have suitors if Liverpool close the door on him.