Liverpool's latest contract predicament needs URGENT attention

Liverpool fans will be sick of hearing the word 'contract' right now, as Trent Alexander-Arnold's situation rolls on despite Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk having agreed their extensions.

It's a constant thing that the club will be highly aware of and fans will no doubt be weary about the other deals that are subject to expire in the next few years.

READ MORE: Liverpool still deciding on Trent Alexander-Arnold CASH-IN

You might think, 'well, Liverpool have just won the Premier League so everything will be fine', but often the underlying dynamics between the club executives, the players, the staff and the agents are far more complex.

READ MORE: Liverpool have already signed next Mo Salah for NOTHING

Take a look at Trent, for example, who is on the verge of leaving his boyhood club in favour of joining a Real Madrid side that are disjointed, are unlikely to win La Liga (subsequently going trophy-less), who got embarrassed by Arsenal in the Champions League, and whose manager, Carlo Ancelotti, is set to leave at the end of the season to take up the role of leading the Brazilian national team.

Getting everyone in a room and trying to make them see sense can be incredibly difficult, even if the financial package that is being offered to them is perfectly in line with their demands.

So when you find someone who is actively looking to extend their stay at the club, you have to get the job done as soon as possible, because those people are invaluable. They're dedicated to the Reds.

The NEXT contract that should be on Liverpool's minds

Liverpool have four deals that are set to expire in 2026, making this summer their last opportunity to get a fee for the players before they enter their last year, when a free transfer becomes a possibility.

Those are Ibrahima Konate, Coaihmin Kelleher, Andy Robertson and Vitezslav Jaros.

If we attempt to forecast what will happen, then it seems likely that the Czech goalkeeper will remain as a third choice option, Kelleher is almost certain to be sold this summer - although Giorgi Mamardashvili could upset those plans - Robertson will probably be kept this summer over Kostas Tsimikas making a free transfer a likely option for the Scot and then we come to Konate.

The French centre-back is the crown-jewel in that list of four because he plays regularly, he's only 25-years-old, he's at the top of his game and Liverpool would find themselves with a pretty significant hole in the team to fill, essentially forcing themselves to spend £50m on Dean Huijsen.

Anfield Watch understands that PSG are heavily interested in signing him, offering him a substantial wage, alongside guarantees such as the chance to captain the side as well as other bonuses.

All four players will need to be assessed and decisions will need to be made on their futures, with Konate standing out as the major problem that needs resolving as soon as possible.

But now that Salah and Van Dijk have signed, there is actually a more urgent situation that Liverpool need to look at, which supersedes any of the player's individual circumstances and that is Arne Slot.

The Dutchman, now Premier League winning coach, has stunned us all this season with his efforts.

No one knew what to expect after Jurgen Klopp left, yet Slot took on the role admirably, was gracious in acknowledging the work of his predecessor, and managed to find a way to use his own footballing philosophy to get the best out of what Klopp had built for him, etching himself into history.

His tactics differed slightly, but the difference it made to the overall system was enormous. The same players whose performance levels had drifted off last season were right at it and had bundles of energy to burn at will. We were more free flowing in attack and defensively we were more compact.

For the Reds to have won the title in his first season in charge is testament to the professionalism and genius of the coach they had hired to take on the unenviable task of following the Klopp dynasty.

But when we take a little look back at Slot's managerial history, then suddenly things all start to fall into place. The man is a serial winner.

In 2019/20, when Liverpool were breaking their 30-year drought for a league title, Slot's AZ Alkmaar side were sat level on goal difference with Ajax at the top of the Eredivisie when the Covid-19 pandemic halted play with 9 games to go. A title-challenging side's efforts just null and voided.

But then three years later, he finally got his just rewards with Feyenoord, who raced to a Dutch league title by finishing seven points clear of PSV Eindhoven. He finally had one under his belt.

And now we come to this season, looking set to reach 90 points with an estimated 15 point cushion at the top of the table over challengers Arsenal who will no likely three-peat second place.

Slot's current deal with Liverpool is only three years long, and one of them has already happened in a flash, with glory awaiting the Reds at the end of it.

While it might have been a little mental to conceive of this at the start of the season, Liverpool have no choice but to extend Slot's contract beyond 2027. We've stumbled across a genius at his craft.

Klopp retired when he was 56 years old and Pep Guardiola is still going at 54 years old. Meanwhile, Slot is still just 46 years old and he has demonstrated already that he has what it takes to bring a sustained period of success to Liverpool,. The players have bought into him and the fans are in love.

READ MORE: Star now ready for Liverpool offer as release clause TRIGGERS

So regardless of what players might come or go in the next 12 months, the paramount deal that Liverpool's chief executives will already be acutely aware of, is extending Slot's contract. It's essential.