Liverpool news: Arne Slot makes Mo Salah admission after star's 'love to stay' claim

Liverpool take on Newcastle on Wednesday night with a bit more breathing space in the title race, but Arne Slot will not want his players to slow down.

Arsenal's defeat to West Ham and Liverpool's win at Manchester City saw the gap between the clubs grow to 11 points ahead of a full programme of midweek fixtures. Both of the top two are up against Champions League-chasing opponents, with Arsenal facing a trip to Nottingham Forest in a game which kicks off 45 minutes before events at Anfield.

Liverpool's Champions League round of 16 meeting with Paris Saint-Germain is just around the corner, as is the Carabao Cup final. Slot's team could still end the season with three trophies, but they have none in the bag just yet.

Despite the fine form on the pitch, questions are still being asked about the future of three Liverpool stars whose contracts are due to expire in the summer. That's one of the topics of discussion in Mirror Football's latest lines from around Anfield.

Slot's Salah comments

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has admitted Liverpool may need to spend more to hang on to Mohamed Salah due to the forward's form this season. Another goal and assist against Manchester City saw the Egyptian extend his lead over the rest of the Premier League in both categories, but he will be able to leave for free in the summer unless the Reds can meet his demands.

“You can look at it in both ways," Slot said. "You can say the better he does the more expensive he might become and if he did really worse we would have second thoughts to extend his contract. For everyone it is the best that he brings in the performances he does now, maybe only for the one who has to pay him it is not the best.

“For everyone else it is the best because if you want to play at this club you need to be at his level otherwise you are almost useless to play at this club because we only need players that are at the top of their game. Because this is one of the best, or the best, club in the world to play for. He needs to have these performances for him to play here and hopefully to extend here.”

Van Dijk's stance on future

Virgil van Dijk has indicated a desire to stay in football when the time comes to hang up his boots, but has played down suggestions he would become a manager. This is despite Arne Slot suggesting the centre-back would be well-suited to a move into the dugout.

Can you see Virgil van Dijk becoming a manager? Have your say in the comments section

“I said no [to management], but that’s also because coming to this hectic, busy, on-it life that my family is sacrificing a lot, my wife and my kid,” Van Dijk told Rio Ferdinand Presents in October 2024. "To then have a year off or two years off and then going back into it… I don’t think I see it [management] happening, but never say never. I really feel like I definitely will give something back to football. I love working and seeing younger players out there.

“I like going, for example, to the Liverpool Academy to watch the [underage teams]. I would love to stay in football in the future, but at my time, I don’t know which kind of role, and it’s too far away to think about it.”

Liverpool boss in Isak assessment

Arne Slot has sung the praises of Alexander Isak as Liverpool prepare for the first of two meetings with the Swede's Newcastle team. The second of those will come less than a month after Wednesday's league clash, with Slot taking on Eddie Howe's men in the Carabao Cup final.

"Understatement to say in fine form, he is in excellent form," Slot said when asked about Newcastle top scorer Isak. "The team performance will help control him. The more ball possession we have the more we can control him, although he is dangerous on counter-attacks. But we have two very good centre-backs, which is what you need when you face the quality of Isak.

"I like the style of play Eddie Howe has introduced, a team who has a very good gameplan, very intense with or without the ball. Not the only offensive threat they have, [Anthony] Gordon is a big threat."

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