Arne Slot would not take the credit for convincing Mohamed Salah to sign a new contract at Liverpool, instead pointing to those working behind the scenes.
Salah has signed a new two-year deal worth close to £400,000 per week, in a major boost to Liverpool as they look to get the Premier League title over the line.
It goes a great length to securing long-term success beyond this campaign, too, with Slot admitting having his No. 11 commit to 2027 would help in persuading transfer targets to sign and current players to pen new deals of their own.
• READ: Mohamed Salah new contract helps Liverpool transfers admits Arne Slot
The Egyptian has already praised Slot’s involvement in convincing him to make it a decade on Merseyside, but the head coach pointed the credit elsewhere.
Speaking in his pre-West Ham press conference shortly after the news of Salah’s contract was confirmed, Slot hailed the work of sporting director Richard Hughes.
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“I don’t think it’s a surprise to you that I knew a bit better how his contract situation went over the course of the whole season,” he told reporters on Friday.
“Maybe for the fans it was a pleasant surprise. I knew a bit longer of course that things were heading in the right direction.
“I think it’s also a big compliment for Richard that he achieved to extend Mo Salah, who is such a great player.
“As a free agent he could go to probably every club in the world, but he stays at our club and that’s also a compliment for Richard I think.”
Asked how much input he had in ensuring Salah stayed, Slot again gave credit to Hughes as well as those within Fenway Sports Group, who “put a lot effort in” – joking that “effort mostly means money!”
“I’m part of that process, but I don’t think I deserve the compliments,” he continued.
“I think first of all, it’s Mo’s choice, his agent’s choice, what he wants.
“And second of all the club, FSG, Richard, Michael Edwards, they put a lot of effort in for him to extend.
“And effort mostly means money! But also effort, not only money.
“What it might tell you as well is that it’s not only a good season this season, we want to make it a very good season next season as well.
“I think Mo is convinced that it’s a fair chance we are able to do so. Again, that’s a positive for us.”
‘Liverpool have bought themselves time’
Sam Millne (@sam_millne)
Van Dijk and Salah will remain key figures in the starting XI. It does have to be acknowledged, though, that they are 33 years old and 32 years old respectively.
While the Dutchman’s playing style and the Egyptian’s outstanding fitness are both mitigations against their age, time catches us all eventually and it will be interesting to see how the pair are fare in the final months of their next contract.
While the clock will ultimately become inescapable for the senior duo, Liverpool have bought time when it comes to planning for their successors.
It is an impossible job to replace Salah on the right, but an extra year or two does give Liverpool scope to develop their plan to accommodate their eventual departures.
While Van Dijk and the Egyptian are both expected to be just as prominent next year as this, they could begin to be used more sparingly as their contracts run down again.
Hopefully, Liverpool are proactive and use the time gained to sign players who can step into their shoes upon their eventual exits, whenever that may be.
The Reds now have two summers to recruit in defence and attack which would allow the incomers time to bed into the club, rather than expecting them to hit the heights of their seniors from the very start.
The job of stepping into Salah and Van Dijk’s shoes isn’t an easy one, but Liverpool have now given themselves a head start in finding the best solutions.
They also have a better bargaining position, as the Reds would have faced sky-high prices with opposition clubs knowing they needed replacements quickly. That scenario could now be avoided.
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