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Beth Lindop
Arne Slot has declined to comment on the status of negotiations regarding the extension of his Liverpool contract, emphasizing that his priority is to get his team back to winning form.
After signing a three-year contract upon his arrival at the club in 2024, it was anticipated that the Dutch coach would sign a new deal following Liverpool’s Premier League title win last season. Unfortunately, the team’s title defense has faltered dramatically over the past few weeks, resulting in six losses in their last seven matches across all competitions.
During a press conference on Friday, when asked about his contract situation, Slot replied, “This is the last question I expected. My concentration is solely on reestablishing Liverpool’s winning ways.” He added, “As for contract discussions, if they are happening, we never address that here. The focus must be on winning again, which is my primary concern.”
Liverpool has faced a string of defeats, losing their last four Premier League matches and suffering a 3-0 loss to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. Following the cup exit, Slot made headlines by suggesting that the squad lacks depth, despite over £400 million ($525m) spent in the summer transfer window.
When asked about the team’s deficiencies, Slot stated, “We lack nothing. I’m pleased you asked this because I’m entirely satisfied with the team’s quality and our strategy. However, the issue—if we can call it that—is that not all players have had a proper preseason or have been battling injuries. But let me be clear, I won’t make excuses for our results.”
He continued, “We’ve had to compete in numerous away matches with just two days of rest in between, which could have been challenging for last season’s players who were fully fit. However, this season, we’ve had a different scenario. The problem isn’t squad depth; it’s about our situation regarding injuries and player availability throughout the season.”
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Among the growing list of injuries for Liverpool is striker Alexander Isak, who is expected to miss the upcoming match against Aston Villa due to a groin injury. Midfielder Curtis Jones is also likely unavailable, but there is hope that Ryan Gravenberch could return after sustaining an ankle injury during the 2-1 loss against Manchester United earlier this month.
“Ryan trained with us yesterday,” Slot mentioned. “The other two [Isak and Jones] have not yet returned. In the final stages of recovery, progress can be slow or swift, but Ryan participated in training yesterday, and he will train today. We will assess his readiness to play. Unfortunately, the other two are almost certain to miss Saturday’s match.”