Arne Slot reveals Mohamed Salah mindset amid Liverpool contract talks
The Egypt international is out of contract in the summer and spoke out about the situation following victory over Southampton
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Your support makes all the difference.Arne Slot insists Mohamed Salah’s complaints about not being offered a contract yet are no distraction for Liverpool and said the stand-off might be bringing the best from his top scorer.
Salah said on Sunday that he was “more out than in” amid protracted contract negotiations with his deal set to expire next summer and he is able to discuss a free transfer move next summer from the start of January.
The Egyptian insisted Liverpool have not yet put a new deal on the table for him, though his agent, Remy Abbas, has been in talks with the Premier League leaders’ sporting director, Richard Hughes.
But head coach Slot smiled: “The only thing I can say is if I look at my line-ups, Mo is more in than out.”
Salah has scored 12 goals this season, including six in his last five Premier League games, and Slot added: “I don’t think it distracts Mo at all. Maybe it brings the best out of him. He is in a good place at the moment. Definitely we want his numbers to be at.”
Slot said his squad have not been affected by Salah’s remarks as they prepare to face Real Madrid at Anfield on Wednesday.
He added: “I don’t think Mo is distracted at all. I didn’t see that after the [Manchester] United game where he had some comments. He just kept on scoring. He is fully focused on the game. If you would have been at the Axa [training ground] today, I don’t think any player talked about it, at least when I was there. I don’t think there is any distraction for him or the players.”
Slot said that vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold will not be fit to begin the match against Real after missing the 3-2 win over Southampton with a hamstring injury, though the right-back could be able to make a cameo.
He added: “Trent is in the squad but he will not be available to start. He can maybe make a few minutes. In an ideal world he doesn’t but if it is really necessary he can make a few minutes.”
Harvey Elliott, who has not played since August, is available but short of match sharpness while Kostas Tsimikas has been added to an injury list that already included Alisson, Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa.
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