Liverpool chairman reveals club was prepared to let star duo leave in summer

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from DaveOCKOP or go back to LFC Live.

The club’s board had to balance patience with urgency while ensuring they didn’t jeopardize their long-term plans. Liverpool chairman Tom Werner has now revealed that the club was prepared to let two of their biggest stars leave for free last summer.

The players in question are Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, both in the final year of their contracts. “I’d call him frequently and say, ‘Richard, how are things going with Mo Salah and his contract?’, and he would say, ‘Tom, it will all be good in the end’.” Werner praised Hughes further, saying, “I think all the agents who deal with him would say that he conducts business in a very respectful way.” “He has a plan and he executes it.” He added, “We were delighted that the new contracts for Mo and Virgil were sorted.” “But you know what?” “If Richard had called and said, ‘The chasm is too big’, I would have respected that too.” “John, Mike and I try to find people who are excellent at their jobs and let them do their jobs.” “We don’t meddle, we just provide support and advice from our point of view.” “There’s a lot of trust.” “I can’t say enough wonderful things about Richard.” While Salah and van Dijk eventually signed extensions, questions have arisen about their influence this season.

Former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney criticized their impact following Liverpool’s 3-1 loss to Brentford. Liverpool now face the challenge of turning around their campaign while managing expectations around their star duo, whose contracts nearly slipped through their fingers last summer.