by Arne Slot has claimed Mohamed Salah’s contract impasse with Liverpool could bring out the best in the striker and would not be a hugely important week-long distraction for the club.
Salah’s admission that he is ‘more out than in’ at Liverpool due to lack of a contract offer has overshadowed the build-up to Wednesday’s Champions League match against Real Madrid and the visit of Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday.
Jamie Carragher accused the Egypt international of acting selfishly by going public with his disappointment after victory at Southampton, where Salah’s 11th and 12th goals of the season extended Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League to eight points. Slot, however, believes the Egypt international’s dissatisfaction with contract negotiations, with his current deal set to expire this summer, could be behind the astonishing form which underlines his value to the club.
Related: Liverpool’s contract dance with Salah was always going to be complicated | Andy Hunter
“I focus a little more on what else he has [Carragher] said – that he was one of the five best players Liverpool ever had,” Slot said. “I completely agree with him, which is not an easy thing because there have been many great players at this club.
“I don’t think it distracts Mo at all, maybe it even brings out the best in him if you look at his performances so far. I’m focusing on the next match and then we have another big game coming up and it continues. I talk to Mo about what I expect from him, as I do with all the other players, and he is in a good place at the moment. I am not distracted by his comments and I. doesn’t think his teammates are It’s good that we. let’s have a story in the media, you also have work now.
Andy Robertson insisted there were no signs at the training ground of Salah’s disappointment over the contract, nor on the pitch. The Scotland captain said: “Mo arrives at training every day with a smile on his face. He’s in the gym working as hard as ever, he’s on the practice field working as hard as ever. He’s one of the happiest people on the training ground, that’s for sure. He enjoys every moment he spends there and it shows.
“And he’s such a focused individual that he’ll probably be in his house now focused on tomorrow night. That’s what all the best players in the world do and Mo certainly falls into that category.
Slot has confirmed that Trent Alexander-Arnold will not be fit to start against the reigning European champions – who are keen to sign the defender on a free transfer if his Liverpool contract also expires – despite returning to training after a recent hamstring injury. “Trent is in the squad but he won’t be available to start,” the Liverpool boss said. “Maybe he can get a few minutes, but in an ideal world he might not. But if it’s really necessary, he can save a few minutes but he won’t start.
“Frederic [Chiesa] is not yet in the team. He does not yet train for the whole session, but for one or two parts of the session. Harvey Elliott is in the team but hasn’t played competitive football for a long time. He’s not ready to start. Alisson is not here yet, Diogo [Jota] is not here yet and Kostas [Tsimikas] is not there. He is also injured. It’s quite a list for us too [as Real].”
