With Liverpool supporters still worried about losing their best players, Arne Slot has made it apparent that he has a say in the contract negotiations for his team.
When the Dutch coach took over at Anfield from the late great Jurgen Klopp, he knew he was taking over a squad with an unclear future because the contracts of star players Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah were expiring.
Slot has now contributed to the Reds’ efforts to retain their best players, stating that he has been in contact with Richard Hughes, the team’s new sports director, who relocated from Bournemouth to Merseyside. Slot stated: “If I didn’t have any say, that would be weird.
Being the head coach might be convenient at times. The persons who need to talk about contract situations do so. I discuss it with Richard rather than using a microphone in front of you all.
The aforementioned trio had a crucial role in Liverpool’s 2020 Premier League title and their Champions League triumph the previous year. After hearing nothing from the club’s executives, star forward and goal machine Salah himself made a suggestion back in September that he thought this season would be his final season at Anfield.
Van Dijk, the club captain and defensive titan, has given Reds supporters hope regarding his future at Anfield by acknowledging that “discussions are ongoing” but remaining silent about the outcome. “I can say obviously that discussions are ongoing, but I don’t know; we will see what happens in the future,” he said to the media.
“My full focus is on Liverpool, wanting to win games that are ahead of me and nothing else,” according to the Mirror. “I don’t currently know what the future holds. I can only say that talks have begun, and we’ll see what happens.”
Real Madrid is one Spanish suitor that Alexander-Arnold, the creative supreme, has been attracting. Additionally, the Spanish powerhouses are hoping that the right-back’s bond with Jude Bellingham will entice him to join Madrid.
However, when the defender stated that winning the Ballon d’Or was his goal, Kop great Jamie Carragher expressed some doubt about the full-back’s prospects. “You can try to win the Ballon d’Or, but my first thought when I read that was you’re not winning the Ballon d’Or as a right-back for Liverpool,” the Sky Sports analyst stated.
“Ballon d’Or winners normally play for Real Madrid or Barcelona, that’s where the best players in the world go.”
