Arne Slot has reacted to the happy news of Mohamed Salah‘s new contract, but would not be drawn into commenting on Virgil van Dijk‘s impending deal.
Friday morning brought the delightful announcement of Salah extending his contract at Liverpool until 2027, news that had been expected after reports of a breakthrough.
Salah’s signature cannot be underestimated in respect to boosting the mood and affording the club and supporters some peace when it comes to thinking of the future.
The No. 11 spoke highly of the “good relationship” he shares with Slot and the Dutchman was equally complimentary as he discussed Salah’s new contract with the press.
“Happy, of course,” Slot said after the 32-year-old’s new deal was confirmed. “He’s shown at this club for so many years in a row now how much value he has for the team, for the club.
“Like I assume all our fans and his teammates, we are very happy that he extended for two more years.
“Hopefully, he can show Sunday again how important he has been for the whole season to us.”
• READ: Salah new contract helps LFC transfers admits Arne Slot
Adding on Salah’s quality and mentality, Slot said: “He’s a humble person, always wants to work hard, always puts a lot of effort in to become the player he has become.
“And he wants to stay at that level, so he just keeps bringing that effort every single day.
“What makes him special on the pitch is that he can score goals, but he can also score goals if he’s not in the best half-hour or the best 15 minutes.
“That’s why he’s mentally so strong as well. You need to be that if you want to be seven or eight years at the highest level every three or four days, apart from quality, apart from physique, you have to be really mentally strong as well.
“I think apart from all the other things, how mentally strong he is is probably what stands out for me.”
Slot tight-lipped on Van Dijk deal
With Van Dijk also reportedly on the cusp of signing a new deal, the topic was understandably high on the agenda, but Slot remained tight-lipped.
“I think you know the answer,” he said when asked about his captain’s future. “The boring answer, as always. We talk about contracts if they are signed.
“In the situation with Mo, we are talking about it. As long as they are not signed, we don’t talk about it.
“I can tell you I’m very happy with Virgil this season, he’s been incredible for us.
Mohamed Salah signs until 2027
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“Even in the last few games where there were maybe moments where he could do better, but if you look at the other 80 or 90 minutes, he’s such an important player for us.
“Let’s hope he can do the same what I just I hoped for from Mo, on Sunday, that he can be our leader again as he’s always been this season.”
Surely it’s only a matter of time, Arne!
‘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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