Arne Slot believes Liverpool signing Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah to new contracts shows the ambition of the club.
Both players were set to leave Liverpool as free agents at the end of the season, but Salah put pen to paper on a new two-year deal last Friday, with Van Dijk doing the same on Thursday.
Salah has been involved in 45 Premier League goals this season (27 goals, 18 assists), a record for a 38-game season, and he is now just two off the all-time record held by Andy Cole and Alan Shearer.
Van Dijk, meanwhile, looks set to lead Liverpool to a second Premier League title this season, with his winning goal against West Ham last weekend moving them ever closer to that triumph, which could be sealed this weekend if Arsenal lose and the Reds win.
Slot was delighted that Van Dijk has chosen to stay with the club until at least June 2027, noting just how vital a role he plays among the team.
“It’s always difficult to describe [how important Van Dijk is],” he said. “You know how important he is when you see him play, that’s what we all see.
“I mostly watch football and look at ball possession, and he is so good at bringing the ball out from the back and his diagonal passes.
“And then the leader he is around the training ground, that is something I have never worked with a player like him in terms of his leadership and the energy he brings to the team in every single training session.
“He is having a big influence at this club, but the main influence he has is, of course, on the weekend.
“[Him staying] tells you that we want to keep our best players, and the fact that we are able to keep them when they are a free agent tells you the ambitions we have for the upcoming years.
“I’m really happy that both of them extended. We spoke about Mo Salah last week, and Virgil has been so important for us defensively, offensively, in and around the dressing room – he’s a great personality and a great football player.”
One player whose future remains up in the air is Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid when his contract expires in June.
Only Salah (74) has created more chances than the right-back (51) in the Premier League this season, with Alexander-Arnold also providing six assists, another tally only beaten by the Egyptian.
Slot maintained his position on not discussing the contractual situations of his players, but he heaped praise on Alexander-Arnold for his attitude as he continues to recover from an ankle injury.
“We do not talk about these things if they are not done yet, and they are not,” he said of the 26-year-old, who could start on the bench against Leicester City on Sunday.
“Trent is coming back from an injury. He trained with us yesterday, and every time he plays with us and trains with us, he shows his commitment.
“He has worked so hard to be back already now, and the moment he is on the pitch, he shows me what a great football player he is.
“The fans of Liverpool and anyone that watches football knows he is an incredible full-back, has been an incredible full-back for this football club, so let’s see what the future brings.”
