Liverpool: Arne Slot going through a serious summer time rebuild at Anfield regardless of Reds closing in on Premier League

Liverpool could also be closing in on the Premier League, however that accomplishment mustn’t disguise the dimensions of the rebuilding job going through head coach Arne Slot at Anfield this summer time.

Slot has simply endured his hardest week within the job since changing Jurgen Klopp, following back-to-back defeats to Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United that ended the membership’s Champions League and Carabao Cup hopes respectively.

It’s the first time the Dutchman has suffered consecutive losses throughout his debut marketing campaign in control of the Reds, however, as is so usually the case, he can have realized a lot extra about his group – specifically their weaknesses – in these two reverses than from any of their quite a few victories this season, as he and sporting director Richard Hughes put together for a busy summer time.

Just like when Liverpool final received the league 5 years in the past, reasonably than heralding a brand new period of dominance on Merseyside, this season’s anticipated title triumph may really characterize the tip of an period for this Reds facet as Slot appears at modifications for subsequent season…..

The ‘elephants’ within the room

The not so hidden ‘elephants’ in Liverpool’s room stay Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold and it bears repeating that, as issues stand, that trio will all go away Anfield without spending a dime when their contracts expire on the finish of June.

So, what occurs with their futures can have a knock-on impact recruitment-wise this summer time, which means Slot and Hughes could also be looking out for a brand new right-sided ahead, centre-back and right-back.

Not solely that, however the membership have additionally been in discussions with Ibrahima Konate about extending his deal that solely runs till 2026, however nonetheless with no breakthrough, whereas reviews proceed to hyperlink Luis Diaz, who has two years left on his contract, with a transfer away this summer time.

And all this earlier than we even start to speak about any attainable new arrivals to strengthen the group for subsequent season.

Cease Salah, cease Liverpool?

Liverpool have to bolster their choices up entrance this summer time, in accordance with Jamie Carragher, who needs his former membership to herald two forwards to take among the burden off Salah’s shoulders ought to he decide to stay at Anfield.

“The lack of pace in the team is glaring in the attack,” he informed Sky Sports activities. “I really feel a bit sorry for Salah. He is taken a little bit of stick within the final video games towards PSG, however he does not get assist off the opposite attackers.

“The other attackers Liverpool have got are good players, not great players. Liverpool need to buy two attackers. Not squad players, but players to hopefully play alongside Salah.”

The numbers again Carragher up, with Diaz [1], Diogo Jota [1], Darwin Nunez [3] and Federico Chiesa [0] having scored a paltry 5 top-flight objectives between them in 2025, which means Salah has been answerable for a league-high 63.8 per cent of all Liverpool’s aim involvements this season, an unhealthy over reliance that’s absolutely not sustainable going ahead.

There are reviews Liverpool are contemplating offloading the injury-prone Jota and Nunez, who the membership rejected a big-money supply for from the Saudi Professional League in January, whereas Diaz and Chiesa is also on the transfer this summer time, regardless of the latter having solely signed from Juventus firstly of the season.

Had been the Premier League’s prime scorer to additionally go away, then that would depart a sizeable rebuilding job in assault for Hughes to undertake, with the Reds reportedly doing due diligence on Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo and Brighton’s Joao Pedro.

Ageing squad wants a refresh

The bodily – and likewise psychological – toll on Liverpool’s gamers has been evident of their two losses of late, partially on account of Slot’s reliance on a key core of trusted lieutenants all season, with solely Man Utd’s Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes having performed extra Premier League minutes than Van Dijk and Salah thus far.

In the meantime, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have additionally been racking up the minutes within the Reds’ midfield engine room, with all three trying leggy and off the tempo consequently in current weeks.

All managers depend on skilled stars, after all, particularly having simply taken over at a membership, however there are clear hazard indicators for Slot, with Liverpool having the fourth-oldest common beginning XI age [27.65] and their common of 1.76 line-up modifications per recreation is the seventh-lowest this season.

Whereas you will need to bear in mind Slot made only one signing final summer time, this reluctance to rotate can be indicative of the Dutchman’s lack of belief in back-up gamers Wataru Endo and Harvey Elliott to cowl in midfield, with Carragher calling on homeowners the Fenway Sports activities Group [FSG] to additionally herald a holding midfielder to permit extra relaxation for Gravenberch subsequent season.

“I don’t think he [Slot] has any time for four or five players in that squad, and the fact that he didn’t change players at home to Southampton between the PSG games – against one of the worst teams ever in the Premier League – I can accept that this season as this isn’t really his squad, but next season I’m sure he’ll bring players in,” the previous Liverpool captain mentioned on The Overlap Fan Debate. “He needs a centre midfielder to replace Endo, someone younger.”

Liverpool tried, after all, to signal Actual Sociedad defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi final summer time, just for the Spain worldwide to have a late change of coronary heart over transferring to Anfield.

Nonetheless, with Arsenal now closing in on the participant’s signature, in accordance with Sky Sports activities News, Slot and Hughes should look elsewhere for various targets because the Dutchman tries to mould the squad extra in his picture this summer time.

How do you substitute record-breaking full-back?

Whereas there’s nonetheless no information on Alexander-Arnold’s future on the membership, the silence from each events is ominous, and with Actual Madrid having already made their intentions clear after a bid was rejected for the right-back in January, many anticipate this to be his final season at his boyhood membership.

That would depart an enormous void to fill not simply on the right-hand facet of Liverpool’s defence, but additionally in assault given Alexander-Arnold’s unrivalled passing means that has produced 64 assists since 2016, a Premier League file for a defender.

Conor Bradley has at all times proved an ready deputy for Alexander-Arnold and could be an choice for the function, however the England worldwide’s absence in Sunday’s League Cup remaining as soon as once more confirmed how laborious it is going to be for anybody to exchange the defender have been he to hitch Madrid.

And there may even be a state of affairs this summer time the place Hughes is having to recruit each a proper and left-back following reviews Liverpool are additionally monitoring left-sided full-backs to supply competitors for Andy Robertson, together with Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez and Ajax’s Jorrel Hato.

Jeepers ‘keepers

One other participant who not too long ago reminded everybody of his standing as the most effective on the earth was Alisson after his Champions League heroics to thwart PSG on the Parc des Princes.

Alisson remains to be solely 32, so usually would have a minimum of one other 5 years because the membership’s No 1 and but the Reds introduced in Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia final summer time – earlier than loaning him again to the LaLiga facet – with a view to difficult for a first-team spot subsequent season.

And have been Saudi golf equipment to reignite their curiosity in Alisson on the finish of the season after he turned down a big-money strategy final summer time, it is going to be attention-grabbing to see if Michael Edwards, CEO of Soccer at FSG, cashes in on each the Brazil worldwide and Caoimhin Kelleher with a view to assist fund a squad rebuild.

A brand new chief on the again

Van Dijk was once more coy when quizzed about his Reds future within the aftermath of Sunday’s League Cup loss to Newcastle, however Slot shall be completely determined for his compatriot to increase his keep at Anfield past this season.

The Liverpool captain is irreplaceable by way of his on-field contributions, in addition to his affect within the dressing room, however substitute him they could must.

Even have been Van Dijk to remain, nonetheless, Carragher nonetheless believes his former membership “needs a centre-back as back-up to the two [Van Dijk and Konate] that we have,” with Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi and Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen reportedly on Liverpool’s summer time radar.

All of which factors to one of many greatest squad overhauls in current Reds historical past, with Carragher calling for the arrival of “at least five or six players – three to go straight in the team and three to be strong back-ups – with still so many areas of the team to improve”.