Liverpool’s nightmare week shifts focus back to contract situation – something has to give

Arne Slot has been able to brush the issue aside until now but would surely like some clarity on the futures of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold

Most of them probably did not need one but the past week has been something of a reality check for Liverpool fans. Their team is, by some considerable margin, the best in the Premier League and it is certainly more entertaining to watch than it is often given credit for.

Liverpool have the competition’s outstanding attacker in Mohamed Salah and the outstanding defender in Virgil van Dijk. Liverpool will be mighty impressive champions.

But the evidence presented by the Champions League exit and defeat in the Carabao Cup final suggests the squad is not yet deep enough for it to be all-conquering in the same way that, for example, Manchester City were in their Treble-winning season. Arne Slot has not had an overly-difficult time with injuries in his first season in English football but he has still not rotated to the extent that might be expected.

Harvey Elliott, Wataru Endo and Federico Chiesa have yet to start a Premier League game. It is clear Slot will want significant recruitment ahead of next season.

But just how significant is, to some extent, dependent on how the contract issues are resolved. Until now, Slot has been able to almost ignore the quite unusual impasse between the club and three pillars of the playing staff.

But two high-profile, painful losses on the spin will change that. With only the procession to the Premier League title to complete, thoughts are bound to turn to next season. Any narrative that suggests this has not been a great season for Liverpool should be treated with the indifference it deserves.

But after the disappointment of Wembley and the PSG reverse, it would be a huge boost to Liverpool fans if Salah, Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold committed themselves to the long-term ambitions of the club sooner rather than later.No-one can question the 100 percent commitment shown by these players over the entire course of this season. It is a big part of the reason why Liverpool have a 12-point lead in the Premier League.

But when Salah has the type of ineffective performance he had at Wembley, it is inevitable the more cynical will wonder if the contract situation is having an effect. And great leader that he is, Van Dijk fronts up brilliantly, win or lose. As it happens, he was also one of the better Liverpool players in the Carabao Cup final.

But he cannot suggest this scenario is normal. Liverpool have only nine matches left to play this season and there is still a chance that Salah, Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk have only nine matches left to play in a Liverpool shirt.

As they head towards an outstanding Premier League triumph, Liverpool and their fans hardly need a boost. But you can imagine the extra jolt of euphoria in the title run-in if one, two or three of Salah, Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk finally said yes to a new deal.

As far as any or all of them signing new contracts goes, any time would be good for Slot and for Liverpool fans. But in the wake of a pretty tough week, right now would be great.

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