Arne Slot batted away questions about Virgil van Dijk‘s contract situation on Friday, despite the expectation an extension is imminent.
The Liverpool boss spoke to the media on Friday, just over an hour after the news that Mohamed Salah has penned a new deal was confirmed. The forward has signed a two-year deal with the club and similar news surrounding the Liverpool skipper is expected soon.
But Slot, as has tended to be the case this season, was giving little away. “I think you know the answer, the boring answer as always,” the Dutchman told reporters at Liverpool’s AXA Training Centre at Kirkby ahead of the weekend clash against West Ham United.
“We talk about contracts if they are signed. 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 that I am very happy with Virgil this season, he has been incredible for us.
“Even if the last few games there were moments he could do better, but if you look at the other 89 minutes, he is such an important player for us. Let’s hope he can the same I hoped for with Mo, he can do the same on Sunday as well, being our leader as he has always been against West Ham.”
Van Dijk did reveal last week after the loss to Fulham that progress has been made on his talks with the club. “I don’t read all the things that are told,” a laughing Slot said on the defender’s comments at Craven Cottage.
Pushed again on the need for the Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold situations to be addressed soon, Slot said: “We will see what is going to happen in the upcoming weeks.
(Image: Getty Images)
“There is not a lot of time to go so you will get your answers in the next two months. First of all, it is that we should be happy that Mo has extended and it should not be talks about other players.”
While Van Dijk is expected to sign an extension at Liverpool, there is a growing inevitability that Alexander-Arnold will leave for Real Madrid at the end of the season.
