Where is Richard Hughes as Liverpool face contract CHAOS?

Liverpool have started the season in emphatic fashion under new head coach Arne Slot.

They have won 15 of their opening 17 games, losing just one, in topping the Premier League and Champions League tables.

READ MORE: Liverpool owners FSG CONFIRM plans to make enormous signings

After Jurgen Klopp left his role as manager last season, many thought the club would be in disarray this campaign.

But so far, the Reds have been nigh-on perfect in every competition they've played.

The only cloud hanging over their heads is the ongoing contract situation and the financial state of the club, which isn't looking too promising.

Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil Van Dijk are all entitled to negotiate with other clubs about their future from January 1 and should no contract extensions be agreed with Liverpool, then they will leave Merseyside at the end of the season.

Salah's contract in focus

While fans knew at the start of the season that it would be a campaign filled with dread as the club's contract saga lingered on, Salah's thoughts on his situation weren't made clear until Liverpool visited Manchester United in September.

Speaking to Sky Sports after scoring and assisting twice in the 3-0 romp of the Red Devils, he said: "It could be the last time [coming to Old Trafford]. Nobody talked to me yet about contracts, so I just play my last season, and we'll see at the end of the season."

However, nothing ever came on the back of his comments, so the Egyptian King continued on his merry way, focusing on his performances on the pitch until November when he scored a magnificent curling winner at Anfield against Brighton.

Taking to Instagram after the game, he said: "All teams win matches but there’s only one champion in the end. That’s what we want. Thank you for your support last night. No matter what happens, I will never forget what scoring at Anfield feels like.”

Again, nothing came from the incident, but the post was an important update which strongly suggested that Salah was still waiting for a breakthrough to be made in his contract negotiations, as he reminisced after another electric home game.

And now we come to this week.

In the aftermath of Liverpool's 3-2 comeback win over Southampton, Salah purposefully made his way to the mixed media zone, where he made his strongest statement to date about the saga.

He said: "We are almost in December and I haven’t received any offers yet to stay in the club. I’m probably more out than in.

"I’m not going to retire soon so I’m just playing, focusing on the season and I’m trying to win the Premier League and hopefully the Champions League as well. I’m disappointed but we will see."

In a move heavily criticised by former-red Jamie Carragher, Salah made his final plea, making it clear that he is committed to the club, wants to win trophies this season and airing out his frustrations with the lack of progress the club has made on his contract.

While fans will side with Salah, fearing for the worst if Liverpool's eight-season wonder were to depart, FSG and the executive hierarchy have an important decision to make.

Given the recent financial figures coming out of the club, it's going to be tricky.

Slot responds to the media again

In and amongst all the carnage, Arne Slot is trying to focus on the job at hand, success on the pitch.

Given the title of 'head coach' by Director of Football Michael Edwards, in contradiction to former boss Jurgen Klopp's managerial title.

And yet Slot seems to be just as involved in answering questions surrounding speculation over his players' futures, while Richard Hughes - Liverpool's Sporting Director, who is charged with focusing on transfers and contracts - is nowhere to be seen.

Now, by no means am I expecting Hughes to turn up to a press conference and spill the tea on how negotiations are going. That would not only be foolish, but downright stupid.

However, should Slot be facing questions like these when his role is to get the best out of the players available to him? I don't think so.

Fortunately, as Liverpool had with Klopp during his tenure at the club, Slot is a charismatic man, who is more than experienced at dealing with the media.

At his Champions League press conference, ahead of Real Madrid's visit to Anfield on Wednesday, he faced countless questions over Salah's most recent quotes.

In response, he said: "People tell me about it but I’ve said many times I don’t share this over here… all I can say is if, I look at my lineups, Mo is more in than out.

"I don’t think he’s distracted at all, I haven’t seen that after the United game where he made comments… I didn’t see anything today. He’s fully focused on the game tomorrow.

"I focus a bit more on what else [Carragher] said, that Salah is one of Liverpool’s five best-ever players. I don’t think it distracts Mo at all, maybe it even brings the best out of him… My main focus is the next game."

Until we get a final answer on Salah's destination next season, it's highly unlikely that Slot will be able to answer questions simply on sporting matters.

But while exceeding expectations on the pitch and maintaining a positive relationship with the media, responding to the reporter's questions in a jovial way, it is at least clear that Liverpool picked the right man for the job.

READ MORE: Liverpool dealt MAJOR injury blow ahead of Real Madrid clash