Liverpool chairman Tom Werner has made a startling admission that the club was willing to let star players Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk leave for free during last summer's contract negotiations.
The tense contract standoff
Both players were entering the final year of their contracts before eventually signing extensions at the end of last season, following months of protracted discussions. The negotiations coincided with Liverpool's Premier League title-winning campaign, creating significant uncertainty throughout the spring about whether agreements would be reached.
Werner has now revealed how close Fenway Sports Group came to walking away from the talks entirely. The American executive insisted that the financial terms had to be right for the club, while praising sporting director Richard Hughes for his handling of the delicate situation.
"My impatience is balanced by his patience," Werner told The Athletic in an excerpt from James Pearce's book 'Walk On: Inside Arne Slot's Liverpool'. "I would call him frequently and say: 'Richard, how are things going with Mo Salah and his contract?' and he would reply: 'Tom, in the end everything will be fine.'"
Praise for Liverpool's approach
Werner expressed confidence in Hughes's negotiation style, stating: "I think all the agents who deal with him would say he conducts business in a very respectful manner. He has a plan and he executes it."
The Liverpool chairman emphasised that while the club was delighted to secure new contracts for both Salah and Van Dijk, they were prepared for alternative outcomes. "If Richard had called and said: 'The gap is too big,' I would have respected that too," Werner admitted.
He explained FSG's management philosophy: "John, Mike and I try to find excellent people for their jobs and we let them do their work. We don't interfere, we only give support and advice from our perspective. There's a lot of trust. I can't praise Richard enough."
Current season struggles raise questions
While Liverpool fans were initially united in their joy at securing the futures of two modern club legends, the decision to reward both players - aged 33 and 34 respectively - has since faced scrutiny amid the team's struggles this season.
Last month, former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney blamed both players for Liverpool's faltering title defence, claiming their attitude was "very worrying." Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show after Liverpool's 3-1 defeat to Brentford - their fourth consecutive Premier League loss - Rooney stated that "nobody had seen it coming, it has hit them quickly, hit them hard and I think they're struggling to find a way out."
"This is a moment where the coach and the team leaders have to sort it out very quickly," Rooney continued. "Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have signed new contracts, but I don't think they've really led the team this season."
Salah's form has been particularly concerning, with the Egyptian appearing a pale imitation of the player who swept almost all major individual honours after recording 34 goals and 23 assists in 52 games last season.
German media outlet Bild recently highlighted Salah's "solo game" as contributing to the disappointing start of £116m summer signing Florian Wirtz. The report noted: "It's striking that he has overlooked Wirtz and hasn't made any of the other summer signings shine, who together cost around 500 million euros."
The statistics make for sobering reading: Wirtz has yet to register a single goal or assist after 11 Premier League matches, while Salah has managed just four goals and two assists in the same number of games.
Liverpool currently sit eighth in the Premier League, eight points behind leaders Arsenal, making their title defence appear increasingly unlikely. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes the team needs to strengthen their defence in the January transfer window to secure Champions League qualification.
"I don't think this group of players is ready to win the Premier League this year, even with the points and how far they are," Carragher stated on The Overlap. "If Liverpool don't sign a defender in January, they could miss out on Champions League qualification."
The club will hope to reverse their fortunes when they return to action after the international break, facing Nottingham Forest at Anfield on Saturday with the aim of closing the gap to the Gunners.
