Liverpool news: Arne Slot sack intruction issued as key man in U-turn | Football | Sport
Arne Slot’s future remains up for debate. (Image: Getty)
Liverpool are pushing forward with full intent as they look to stamp their authority on the summer transfer window following a torrid season. Arne Slot’s side finished 24 points behind their title-winning campaign last season in what amounted to a disastrous defence of their Premier League crown.
The club secured Champions League qualification with their 1-1 draw against Brentford on Sunday, yet did so while recording their lowest points tally in more than a decade (60). Even setting aside the departures of Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson, the forthcoming window was always going to prove pivotal for Slot’s long-term future.
The Reds look set for another expensive summer of activity, just 12 months on from splashing out £450million on new recruits. Amid ongoing speculation surrounding Slot’s position and the latest development regarding a club legend’s potential exit, Express Sport examines the most recent stories emerging from Anfield.
Slot’s dream replacement named
Slot appears set to remain at Anfield ahead of his third campaign as Reds boss later this year, though that has done little to quell public debate surrounding his future.
The club’s wretched season leaves Slot in a precarious position where he needs his squad to hit the ground running come August, otherwise speculation about his position will intensify once more, according to former Liverpool favourite Danny Murphy, who has also offered his former club guidance on who would be best placed to succeed him.
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Speaking on talkSPORT, Murphy said: “If Slot doesn’t start well, it [pressure] is going to start again. I don’t think he’s got a big say in the players [recruitment], by the way. But I think he’s going to have some sort of say in the players that come in.
“But if he starts badly and they’re sitting in fifth, sixth after eight games, it’s done.” When quizzed on whether he would have considered bringing in soon-to-be Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso at Anfield, Murphy said the dream acquisition for the Liverpool dugout should be Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique.
He explained: “I would try and break the bank and do anything I can to get Luis Enrique. Well, if Enrique wins the Champions League again, what more can he do?
Luis Enrique is set to lead PSG in the Champions League final. (Image: Getty Images)
“He must be bored there, playing in a Mickey Mouse league where he wins every week. All he’s looking forward to is the Champions League. He must want more challenge, surely?”
The Reds have already been forced to bid farewell to Salah and Robertson, with reports now suggesting Alisson Becker could complete a trio of high-profile departures following links to a potential switch to Juventus.
However, the Brazilian shot-stopper, whose deal at Liverpool expires next season, may yet be on course to prolong his eight-year stint at Anfield, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
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The Reds have made clear to the 33-year-old that they are keen for him to remain for the coming campaign.
It is understood that while the goalkeeper finds the interest from the Italian giants appealing, a reluctance to sour his bond with Liverpool could ultimately persuade him to stay on for what would be his ninth year on Merseyside.
