by The head coach of Liverpool, Arne Slot, welcomed the positive news that Mohamed Salah’s extension of the contract has sent in relation to the club’s ambitions.
The long-standing saga about the future of the international in Egypt was finally ended with the announcement, the 33-year-old, whose business was to run in summer, had chosen the Premier League master for another two years.
Salah said he signed: “Because I think we have the chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football.”
The striker added: “I said at the beginning of the season, I just want to win the Premier League more than anything. I want it to be so very fair.”
Sports director Richard Hughes spent a great time working on the negotiations, in addition to those in which Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold were involved, who have also been in the past three months.
However, Slot admits that the financial support of the owners of the Fenway Sports Group brings them across the line after they have been rejected by their politics not to give players over 30 lucrative new contracts, with a reduction of the striker of £ 350,000 in discussions.
“First of all, it is the choice of the MO and the choice of its agent and what he wants. Secondly, the club; FSG, Richard, Michael Edwards (FSGS Football Chief Executive) made great efforts to influence that,” said Slot.
“Deal usually means money – but also effort, not just money.
“There is a positive mood for the club, maybe a positive mood that we may not need, but it is always good to have positive vibrations instead of negative vibes.
“If you want to sign new players or players who want to expand here, it is always positive that one of our star players in the past seven or eight years has the choice to extend his contract.
“It also shows how ambitious this club is: not only Mo, but the owners. We are really ambitious, the way this club has occurred for so many years.”
During the negotiations, it was always the preference of both parties to draw this conclusion, but it goes without saying that the club’s wish to recruit and maintain the best talent fits their sporty, financial and overall best interests.
Therefore, Salah’s deal had to fit into this frame, as did Van Dijk that is likely to be confirmed in the near future.
Negotiations with Alexander-Arnold, who has been in the club at the age of six for 20 years, are more complex because Real Madrid’s attraction, which has been pursuing him for a year, is strong.
Liverpool’s 11-point lead at the top of the table means that Salah’s ambition will probably be fulfilled this season, but he is not satisfied with stopping there.
“This is something that drives me crazy every day – to get to work and push myself and push the other players too, because we are closer than ever because we can win it in a special way,” he said to Liverpoyolfc.com.
“I think the team can win many trophies in the next few years. If I don’t think I would have not signed.”
Slot believes that Salah’s commitment to the club not only increases the team, but can also help with the club’s summer recruitment drive, whereby the Egyptian standards can define the standards for others.
“If I put myself in the shoes of a player that we might want to sign, it is always nice to tell you – and we don’t have to tell you what it is out of outdoor – that Mo stays,” added the head coach before the west Ham on Sunday.
“That helps, but what helps the most is that we have retained a high -quality player who has scored so many goals for us for seven or eight years in a row.
“There are more players who can score goals, but Mo can score goals, even if he is not in the best half an hour or in the best 15 minutes and is therefore mentally so strong.
“You have to be if you want to be every three or four days at the highest level for seven or eight years.”
