I know what will happen next in Mohamed Salah Liverpool contract saga after Arne Slot burst out laughing

Ahead of Xabi Alonso’s return to Anfield for the first time as an opposing manager, he would have inevitably been able to take an educated guess at some of the questions likely to come when previewing the game. He was at one point, externally at least, the early favourite to succeed Jurgen Klopp in the Liverpool dugout, after all.

The Spaniard would ultimately opt to stay put at Bayer Leverkusen, leaving Kopites to rue his decision at the time, no doubt keen to see one of their favourite adopted sons return to the club.

However, Arne Slot’s remarkable start to life at Anfield, winning 13 of his first 15 games, has ensured there has been no wistful wondering of what might have been.

READ MORE: Arne Slot responds to Mohamed Salah Liverpool future claims and makes Lionel Messi comparison

READ MORE: Brighton found out first hand that Liverpool claim is no myth - I know how it feels

When Liverpool found themselves drawn against Bayer Leverkusen in the revamped Champions League league format back in August, the looming Alonso narrative was inevitable.

Sure enough, both Caoimhin Kelleher and Slot were quizzed about the former Reds Champions League winner when it was their own turn to face the media ahead of the visit of Leverkusen to Anfield.

Of course, the pair also have their own inevitable questions to face. Kelleher was once again called to bat away questions regarding his future at the club, as effortlessly as he mans the Liverpool goal in the absence of the injured Alisson Becker, after seeing his desire to leave the club rebuffed last summer.

Meanwhile, Slot has already long-since grown accustomed to one line of questioning he has continued to face since first succeeding Klopp in the summer.

The mere mention of Mohamed Salah from Sky Sports was enough to bring a beaming smile to Slot’s face. He knew what was coming next, and sure enough, as soon as the words ‘hint about his future’ and ‘contract talks’ were uttered, the Dutchman was unable to hold his laughter.

“You interpreted it in a way that maybe other people don’t,” a relaxed Slot replied after regaining his composure. “I don’t look at Instagram posts of my players, I only talk to them which you can’t, which is the advantage I have.

“Mo is in a very good place at the moment. As long as he has been at Liverpool, he has been in a very good place, but this season again as well.

“I am hoping he will make a post after tomorrow and on Saturday again. What he said with that, that is not important.

“For me what is important is how he plays and what he tells me when we have conversations. That is what matters and not how you guys interpret one of his posts.”

Meanwhile, following further pressing from Sky regarding the intent behind Salah’s post, which prompted further laughter from the Dutchman, Slot replied: “I haven’t spoken to him about that. We have spoken about Leverkusen because that team deserves all of our attention for the quality they have.

“He is out of contract at the end of the season - Virgil said something in the press - and now he has a post which you interpreted in a certain way. This will probably continue for as long as their futures are not clear yet.

“In the meantime, let’s hope they bring in performances like Mo and Virgil had at the weekend.”

With Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold all still out of contract next summer, Slot has already had plenty of practice regarding answering queries about the trio’s futures at the club. Regardless of the identity of Klopp’s successor, such enquiries were always going to be unavoidable this season.

Sure, questioning comes phrased differently each time, with Salah’s social media offering the latest bait, but the answer from Liverpool’s head coach continues to remain the same.

Like Kelleher’s retort to questions about his own future prior to the Dutchman’s arrival, his reply was effortless. Ultimately nothing has changed with Slot either unable or unwilling to definitively confirm where the trio will be playing their football next season.

While lacking a crystal ball, he still knows what is coming next though when it comes to Salah and co. Questioning regarding the out-of-contract trio is not going to stop anytime soon, and certainly not with January 1 lurking when all three will be free to talk to overseas clubs and agree pre-contract agreements if they so wish.

Until there is a resolution, there will be no resolution and the game of cat and mouse will continue. There will be no definitive answer until the moment all parties wish to divulge one.

Such a sight is nothing new at Anfield in recent years, with the likes of Emre Can, Gini Wijnaldum and Roberto Firmino all earning similar attention prior to their eventual Bosman departures.

Slot will remain relaxed, of course, at least satisfied for as long as Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold continue to perform on the pitch.

And the Dutchman’s impact after replacing Klopp perhaps demonstrates that the Reds should not fear the uncertain. It might not go how Kopites necessarily want right now, but whatever happens will happen, with Liverpool still standing regardless.