Liverpool boss Arne Slot has claimed that Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk's contract discussions did not hinder the Reds' Premier League title bid.
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Salah and Van Dijk signed new deals toward end of seasonSlot says he wasn't part of contract talksRefutes that speculation was hindranceFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Liverpool went into the season with Salah, Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold all heading into the final year of their respective contracts. However, the former two signed extensions over the last month, with the England right-back ended up being the only one to confirm his departure from the 20-time Premier League champions.
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Questions had been raised about whether Salah and Van Dijk's uncertain contract situations may have hindered the Reds' bid for the title, which it ultimately did not, as Slot led his side to a commanding league win over Arsenal. The Dutchman has now doubled down that Salah and Van Dijk's contract talks never served as a distraction.
Getty Images SportWHAT SLOT SAID
When questioned about his level of involvement in the talks with Van Dijk and Salah, Slot told : "80% was done by the club, separate, but they kept me updated.
"But I like the idea that all those contract things are not done by me, but by someone else, because in this league, you need all of your time to prepare your team for the upcoming game. It hasn't been difficult for me, because it hasn't been difficult for the players.
"If it had been difficult for the players, then I would have spent a lot of time talking to them and getting them ready for the next game.
"But I think maybe because we thought we were trying to compete until the end of the Champions League, and for the Premier League, that helped also the players to just stay focused on: 'We can do something special over here'.
"And I think the most special moment for Mo and for Virgil is not their contract extension this year, but it was and is us winning the league. And this is what you live for, it's not the contract – they already have enough money, at least that's what I think!"
WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?
Liverpool will only have to deal with the free departure of Alexander-Arnold this summer, and the Reds have already covered the question of who will replace the homegrown superstar at right-back, as they are set to sign Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong.
