Overall, Jurgen Klopp is leaving the Reds in a very good position. Back looking healthy in the Premier League and, as of Thursday night, officially back in the Champions League.
The first-team squad is certainly in need of some upgrading here and there, but that’s been true of most summers under Klopp, too.
Instead of incomings though, perhaps the biggest legwork for Slot, Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes will be keeping the exit door closed.
Players such as Luis Diaz have been heavily linked with leaving. Staff at the AXA Training Centre have reportedly been ‘openly’ speaking about the Colombian’s departure. As well as Diaz though, Alan Shearer thinks Liverpool are playing a ‘dangerous’ game with three more key players.
It is hardly unprecedented for Liverpool to be heading into a summer unsure over the future’s of three big players.
Cast your minds back only two years ago, and the Reds had allowed Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah to enter the last 12 months of their deals.
In the end, Mane was sold, Firmino waited out his contract and left on a free in 2023 and Salah penned an extension.
Liverpool fans will be hoping that three similar scenario’s do not befall Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Salah once more this summer. The trio are each ticking into their last year’s contracted to the club and writing in The Athletic, Alan Shearer thinks it’s looking ‘dangerous’ for the Reds.
“Salah, who was courted doggedly by Al Ittihad, the Saudi Arabian club, last summer, is about to enter the final year of his contract,” begins the legendary Premier League striker.
“The same applies to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk and all three have been absolutely key, iconic, fantastic players under Klopp. I’m not privy to where negotiations stand, but it’s a dangerous position for Liverpool to be in. Those players will want to plan. They have to look after themselves.”
We’re sure that we’ll hear more about all three of these pillars of Liverpool once Slot finally arrives.
It seems inconceivable that there won’t at least be conversations held with all three about extending their stays at Anfield.
So far, Salah has had the most noise surrounding him. With the Egyptian looking set to stay at Liverpool until at lest 2025, it seems that a new deal is not off the table either.
As for Van Dijk, it has been claimed that he’s willing to wait and speak with Slot before deciding on where he stands.
Finally, Alexander-Arnold is perhaps the most worrying of all. At 25 and with one year left to run, Liverpool are indeed leaving themselves open to attack on Trent. With Real Madrid reportedly lurking, surely there’ll be some positive movement soon.
