For a moment or two, Arne Slot might have felt a twang of deja vu as he answered questions in the second, embargoed part of his Friday press conference.

First, he was asked about Ibrahima Konate as he confirmed that talks do in fact remain ongoing over a new deal for the France international centre-back, who is now entering the final few months of his terms on Merseyside.

Next up was Curtis Jones, who Slot said remained part of his plans for next season when the midfielder would be inside the final 12 months of his own Anfield contract.

For the Liverpool head coach, it likely felt like last season's jousting with the media, when updates were seemingly given on a weekly basis over Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Throw Andy Robertson into the mix alongside Konate and Jones, who admittedly has a year longer than his colleagues, and the sheer volume of contract issues surrounding Liverpool over the last couple of years paints a picture of a club who let the respective situations contracts drift for too long.

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