Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is adamant that the uncertainty hanging over the contracts of three of their key players is not having a negative impact on the team.
Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are all in the final year of their respective deals and could leave Anfield for nothing next summer.
Following the side’s 3-0 win over Manchester United two weeks ago, Salah sent a reminder over his situation by revealing he had heard nothing from the club about an extension.
Van Dijk also confirmed in August that he had not been offered new terms by Liverpool, while Alexander-Arnold has reportedly turned down a fresh contract amid reports linking him with Real Madrid.
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Slot has been reluctant to speak about player contracts in public, but on Friday he insisted that the situation around the three men in particular was not disrupting the squad.
“It’s again the boring answer that you’ll get from me,” the Dutchman said in his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s clash with Nottingham Forest.
“We don’t talk about contract news here. It is not disruptive because we work with the team and try to get the best out of them.”
Concerns over Alexander-Arnold’s future were raised after the right-back cut a sullen figure after he was subbed off against Brentford. Slot explained why he has chosen to take the 25-year-old off early in each of their opening three Premier League matches.
“He proved he could do 90 minutes,” he said. He became tired in the Ipswich game. He’s completely ready to play 90 [now]. We have another player like Conor Bradley, who can do the job really well.
“We have a whole team to manage and it’s also good for Conor to get his playing minutes. It’s not always the individual, I look at the team and the whole squad for the fixtures.”
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