Arne Slot says he has no control over the Liverpool trio’s futures (Image: Getty)
Arne Slot has admitted he “cannot control” the personal decisions of Liverpool stars Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold as they played their final match for Liverpool before being eligible to negotiate with other clubs.
Following a thumping 5-0 win over West Ham at the London Stadium, which moved Slot’s team eight points clear at the top of the Premier League, the trio are approaching the last six months of their contracts with no new deals in sight.
Salah, who scored in the rout along with Alexander-Arnold, told Sky Sports “we are far away” regarding updates on his contract negotiations.
Slot commented: “I think I have a lot of control over what they do if they’re on the training pitch, if they’re in a meeting with me. But talking about their private lives, I don’t have control. It’s really pleasing to see what Virgil brings, what Trent brings and what Mo brings.”
When pressed by Sky Sports for any positive news for fans, Salah responded: “No, we are far away from that. I don’t want to put something in the media and people start saying stuff, but nothing really moved on.
“But now I’m focused on the team, hopefully we win the Premier League.”
Liverpool’s dominance was on full display as they effortlessly brushed aside a stunned West Ham side, securing a three-goal lead by half-time courtesy of goals from Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and an exceptional strike from Salah that left goalkeeper Alphonse Areola floundering at his near post.
Salah’s most notable contribution was his assist for Liverpool’s second goal, where he executed a stunning feint to thread the ball through defender Konstantinos Mavropanos’ legs before setting up Gakpo to score.
Alexander-Arnold extended the lead to 4-0 with a long-range shot that ricocheted off Max Kilman, before substitute Diogo Jota netted Liverpool’s 14th goal in their last three matches to make it five.
Given the team’s strong position, Slot suggested there would be little transfer activity in January. “There’s nothing in the media yet about who we’re going to bring in? No? And also not in my mind,” he said.
“I’m very happy with the squad we have, I said this six months ago and everybody was like ‘is this guy crazy?’ But I think the players show the confidence the club and me had in them was all deserved.
“If you look at Jarell Quansah (who replaced the injured Joe Gomez in the first half), he hadn’t played a lot until now, a few appearances.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah are both out of contract in the summer (Image: Getty)
“The way he played today shows how important it is that we keep working with these players, because we’re going to need all of them at a certain moment.”
Meanwhile, Hammers boss Lopetegui reflected on a sub-par performance against the league leaders.
Reflecting on the loss, he said: “We did not compete as we were thinking to today or as the opponent Liverpool demands. Today has been a tough day for us.
“We have played against one of the best teams in the world in this current moment, but it is true that we have to do much better.”
The defeat was compounded by an injury to West Ham’s captain Jarrod Bowen, who suffered an ankle problem.
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1994139/Liverpool-news-Arne-Slot-Mohamed-Salah