Arne Slot's seven-word response to question on Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold contracts

Liverpool manager Arne Slot passed the buck when asked about the club’s inability to tie down their three key players to new contracts.

The Reds moved seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table on Boxing Day after coming from behind to beat Leicester 3-1 at Anfield. Their victory followed Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat at home by Fulham and re-established an imposing cushion, with a game in-hand putting Slot’s side in a great position.

Jordan Ayew put Leicester ahead after just six minutes when his effort on the swivel deflected in off Virgil van Dijk. But Liverpool asserted their control and equalised before the break through Cody Gakpo’s curler, Curtis Jones’ tap-in made it 2-1 and Mohamed Salah’s clever finish completed the comeback.

Van Dijk, Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold were all important for Liverpool, prompting a familiar question for Slot post-match. "We don't talk about contracts in public,” Slot told Prime Video when asked if there had been any movement on the situation ahead of the January transfer window, when all three will be able to speak to foreign clubs about a summer move.

“This is something for the players and [sporting director] Richard [Hughes]. It is not up to me to talk about those situations in public. But it’s clear that Mo, again, had a good game, Virgil had a very good game, Trent for the most part, he was really good, for one or two exceptions, especially second half, really good. That, we can talk about, but not about the contracts.”

Salah has made it clear that he is growing frustrated by the absence of a contract offer from the club as he continues to play brilliantly. The Egyptian now has 18 goals and 15 assists in 24 matches across all competitions for Liverpool this season.

Van Dijk appears likely to stay put at Anfield, but Alexander-Arnold is being courted by Real Madrid and could still depart for free in July. The situation could be a distraction for Liverpool, but there is no sign that is the case, with Slot’s side sitting top of the Premier League and Champions League and into the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.

Image: Getty Images) Getty Images)

Asked about being favourites for the title, Slot said: "Bit of a boring answer and as a manager you go game by game – you know how many games you have to play. So many teams have so much quality. If this happened in the Eredivisie I would say OK that is true."

Salah, however, admitted his desire to lift the trophy. "The most important thing is the team winning. Hopefully we win the Premier League,” he told Prime Video. “It is great, but we focus on each game and hopefully we carry on like that. It feels different, but the most important thing is we need to stay humble. This one is very special, hopefully we win the Premier League and for this club it is something I dream of.”

Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Click here to read article