Arne Slot's approach to the future of three pivotal Liverpool players reveals a lot about his vision for the team. Slot, who took over at Anfield this summer following Jurgen Klopp's near-nine-year reign, has big shoes to fill given the impact of his predecessor.
Klopp led Liverpool to their first-ever Premier League title in the 2019/20 season, finishing a whopping 18 points ahead of Manchester City that year. However, eyebrows have been raised over Slot's lack of new signings in the recent transfer window.
While rivals Chelsea and Manchester United have splashed the cash to strengthen their squads, Slot is yet to bring in any new faces, making Liverpool the only Premier League club not to have done any business so far. More worryingly, Slot could see three of his star players leave on free transfers next summer if Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah don't sign new contracts.
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The future of these key players remains uncertain as their contracts are set to expire at the end of June in 2025, but it seems the boss isn't in a rush to secure new deals for them. In a revealing Sky Sports interview with Jamie Carragher before Liverpool vs Brentford on Sunday, manager Slot expressed his stance regarding their contracts. "If we bring the best out of them and they perform really well then it's up to them if they want to sign and us if we give them a new contract.
"The main thing for all of them, if you're out of contract or not, is to get the best performance as possible and there is where I should and will help them with my staff, to bring out the best of them." Slot lauded the early impressions he's had of the trio, especially following their 2-0 triumph over Ipswich Town, noting: "Until now it's been nothing but positive.
"Mo came back really strong in terms of physique, Virgil as well, Trent did the same and they brought in good performances against Ipswich which was only the first game. My main focus is on Brentford and not on contract extensions."
Despite his current focus, Slot might need to act quickly to secure his key assets beyond the season, with skipper Virgil van Dijk potentially being snapped up by a domestic rival given his calibre and assuming they can meet his salary expectations, even at 33.
Meanwhile, Saudi Pro League teams including Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr and Al-Ahli are interested in both him and 32-year-old Salah, reports the Mirror. Real Madrid is said to be keeping tabs on 25-year-old Alexander-Arnold, who could potentially have a stellar career with Los Blancos alongside England pal Jude Bellingham.
