Arne Slot gives verdict on Mohamed Salah's 'last game' admission
- Salah admitted Liverpool's win over Man City could be his last against them at Anfield
- Egypt international reported to be 'frustrated' by ongoing contract situation
- Slot keen to make light of tense situation amid questions about the player's future
By Tom Gott
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has laughed off Mohamed Salah's latest admission on his uncertain future at the club.
Salah netted Liverpool's second goal against Manchester City on Sunday but quickly brought fans back down to earth by admitting he feels as though the game could be his last against the Cityzens at Anfield as he approaches the final six months of his contract.
Asked about the comments, Slot chose to have some fun at City's expense by joking that Pep Guardiola's side could be relegated because of the 115 charges against them.
"Maybe Mo knows more about the 115 accusations so he expects them not to be in the Premier League next season!" Slot laughed.
"The boring answer is always the same. This is not the place for me to talk about Mo's contract. Maybe I've already said too much with the joke I just made, that will probably get the headlines. It was a joke. I repeat, it was a joke."
Recent reports claimed Salah was growing frustrated by the ongoing uncertainty surrounding his future, noting his interest in signing a one-year contract extension.
Slot was then asked whether there is a danger that Liverpool become too reliant on Salah, who already has 13 goals and 11 assists in just 20 appearances across all competitions.
"A bit, but only because he's a human being and it happened to him last season - he can get an injury as well, Slot said. "Federico Chiesa has had a difficult start to the club because of injuries so we don't really have a replacement for Mo.
"The good things is that Harvey Elliott is getting fitter and fitter and has played this position many times as well. I am not afraid that Mo's numbers will drop at all but, when it comes to an injury to him, we're in a better position on the left wing than we are on the right.
"Federico is also training with us again. He is getting back and Harvey is getting back, but the best thing that can happen to us is that Mo stays fit and keeps producing these numbers."
READ THE LATEST LIVERPOOL NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP
feed