Slot: Liverpool monitoring transfer market but squad is strong (2024)

Arne Slot says Liverpool have “their eye open to see what’s available” in the transfer market — but insists it is hard to improve the squad he inherited from Jurgen Klopp.

Slot, who oversaw a successful pre-season tour of the US with three straight wins, has yet to make the first signing of his Anfield reign. However, discussions with sporting director Richard Hughes over the options available to them are continuing on a daily basis.

“The bar is really high for new signings because we have so many good players,” Slot said. “It is not so easy to first find a player to meet those standards and then is he available? Then we have to find an agreement with them, so it is not always easy to find a player who can help us.

“Richard is working hard on it and let’s see what comes from this. If he’s not here with us then we speak on the phone many times.

“My main focus has been on working with the team and preparing them in the best possible way for the first Premier League game. He’s working on things and he keeps me updated.”

Asked if he was looking to add a holding midfielder to his squad this month, Slot added: “I think Ryan (Gravenberch) did really well in that position (against Manchester United in South Carolina) and we have other options as well.

“The best way to judge it is when we have all the players back and we still haven’t, but a club like Liverpool always keeps its eye open to see what’s available, players who can strengthen the squad and that is what we — Richard mostly — but me as well are looking to do. That is not particular to one position. We constantly evaluate the squad where can we do something and what we have.”

There are also some big decisions to be made in terms of outgoings. Liverpool have turned down bids for Wataru Endo, Sepp van den Berg and Fabio Carvalho, while youngsters like Tyler Morton, Bobby Clark and Ben Doak are also attracting interest.

“I think other clubs have more players than us but it depends on who you are counting,” Slot said. “If you are counting all the youngsters on the tour then there are many but a few of them will go back to the under-21s or under-18s so I don’t think we have too many.

“In most positions we have double and that is completely normal. If you look at other Premier League clubs (laughs) you see more players than double in every position. For me, we have a normal amount of players, especially if you play all these cup games and we have to play more Champions League games this season.”

Slot is looking forward to having his full squad together for the first time at Kirkby on Tuesday with Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Alisson back on board. Gomez came close to leaving Liverpool for Newcastle United earlier this summer when talks took place over Anthony Gordon moving in the opposite direction.

Alexander-Arnold, who has entered the final year of his contract, spoke with Slot prior to the Euros but his future was not a topic of debate. “We didn’t speak about his commitment, we only spoke about the way I wanted him to play and how he could fit in that style,” Slot revealed.

“He was mainly focused on the Euros at that moment we spoke and I saw some clips from people recently showing me that he looks really fit and sharp. I can’t wait to see him train.

“But some others did quite well on the tour so it is interesting to see if the others come back and the level goes up even more.

“We have a good platform to build from and not just because of this tour. Jurgen left this squad in a very good place. Now it is up to us to keep performing like Liverpool did for so many years.”

(Top photo: Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

James Pearce joins the Athletic after 14 years working for the Liverpool Echo. The dad-of-two has spent the past decade covering the fortunes of Liverpool FC across the globe to give fans the inside track on the Reds from the dressing room to the boardroom. Follow James on Twitter @JamesPearceLFC