Does Arne Slot need to buy new players for Liverpool this summer?

Arne Slot has begun his spell as Liverpool’s manager, and the Dutchman has a big shoe to fill as Jurgen Klopp’s replacement.

Klopp is one of the best managers Liverpool has ever had and the German transformed every fabric of that club before he left.

He joined them nine years ago when they were struggling with mediocrity and developed the team into one of the best in the world, winning several trophies along the way.

Many managers were tipped as favourites to replace Klopp, and Slot was not initially considered among the top five.

The Dutchman had quietly developed his reputation in the Netherlands, where he had his last spell with Feyenoord.

They reached the final of the first-ever Europa Conference in 2022 and won the Dutch top flight the next season by playing some of the finest football.

Last season ended with a two-top finish, and his team was still performing well even after it became clear that he was leaving for Liverpool.

He is now managing one of the biggest clubs in the world and he would want to find success as he did in the Netherlands.

His first season will no doubt be a tricky one and the Dutchman is expected to decide if he would make new signings and which roles he needs to strengthen.

Fans who buy Liverpool tickets are already worried that the Dutchman has not made signings, and their fear is justified, but does he need to make changes to his group?

Jurgen Klopp’s legacy

When Klopp arrived at Liverpool, they were not a club players would want to join, but the German changed all that with his man-management and off-field success.

For many players, playing under the German is a dream, so he had the power to lure players to Liverpool.

He leaves the club with some of that power because his personality alone made things happen at Anfield.

However, Klopp has also left Liverpool in a position to compete for the best talents on offer in Europe.

Last season, they were so good that it seems they will win four trophies and they finished third on the Premier League table, while winning the Carabao Cup.

This means Klopp leaves them as one of the best clubs in England and that alone could help them to sign players.

Liverpool has a strong squad

The 2022/2023 season was a terrible season for Liverpool and the Reds finished it outside the Champions League places.

It was clear that they needed to strengthen their squad if they wanted to do better in the next campaign and they splashed the cash.

Their midfield was their biggest problem in the 2022/2023 campaign, and they addressed that issue with some impressive signings in the summer of 2023.

The likes of Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai joined to improve the group under Jurgen Klopp.

In attack, the Reds did not need to do much because they have more than enough players and it still remains arguably their strongest part.

Slot’s options include Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, and Luis Diaz, among others.

In defence Virgil van Dijk remains as strong as ever as we can see at Euro 2024 where he has led the Netherlands national team to the semi-final.

Ibrahima Konate is not playing for France in the competition, so he will arrive back for next season refreshed and that is a plus.

The Reds also have Joe Gomez and the impressive young Jarrel Quansah, so they look more than secured in defence.

Slot will struggle to find a bad player in the Liverpool group and he needs to make the most of his options and ensure there is a need for another type of player before he makes a signing.

Should he replace the departed stars?

In the summer of 2023, the likes of Fabinho, Roberto Firmino and Jordan Henderson all left Liverpool, and they did a good job of replacing them, which is why they did not suffer much last term.

At the end of last season, the club announced the departure of the likes of Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara, two key men for them over the years.

Liverpool has done brilliantly to replace these players before they were scheduled to leave the club at the end of their contracts.

This means Slot will not even feel like any key member of the group has left the club and it is hard to make a case to replace Thiago or Matip.

Liverpool seems to have been steps ahead and has already replaced both stars in their squad before they even neared the end of their contracts.

What is Slot’s target for the season?

Slot’s movement on the market this summer will also depend on what the club expects him to achieve during his first season on their books.

The Dutchman knows that the demands at Liverpool will be higher than what he was used to at Feyenoord, and he would feel ready for the job.

Klopp left Liverpool as one of the top clubs in England and this means their subsequent managers have to compete for titles.

In his first season at the club, fans should not expect him to win the Premier League immediately and if that is the case, he can afford a quiet summer.

He needs time to make his players adapt to how he wants them to play and change their training routines.

If he is not under pressure to win trophies immediately, then he has a squad that can give him a fantastic first season and probably overachieve if they adapt fast to his demands and style.

A reliance on youth

One thing that Slot will be thankful to Klopp for is how many youngsters the German gave a chance to shine in the first team.

Klopp famously named several youngsters in his team for the Carabao Cup final last season against Chelsea, and they did a fantastic job in that final.

The Reds were missing several senior players through injury and their youngsters got the job done with some fantastic performances.

Slot has also been a good coach for young players and instead of spending so much on the transfer market in his first season, he can trust Liverpool’s youngsters who are coming through the ranks at Anfield.

He will find them interesting to work with and they showed last season that they might be young by age, but they are terrific players with fearlessness in their hearts.

Conclusion

Arne Slot is coming to a Liverpool side that has been used to success, thanks to the exploits of Jurgen Klopp.

Everything looks set for him to start achieving success in his first season at the club and even if he does not make any signing, he can still find success with the group at the club now.