Werner discussed the situation with sporting director Richard Hughes, who worked to negotiate new contracts for the players.

According to Werner, Hughes was patient and had a plan in place to secure the contracts, which ultimately proved successful.

Werner praised Hughes' professionalism and respect for the players and their agents, saying he would have respected his decision if he had deemed the negotiations too challenging.

The club's leadership trusts Hughes to handle negotiations and provides support and advice from their perspective.

The summer transfer window saw the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold, and losing both Van Dijk and Salah would have put the team in a difficult position.