Excitement for the new season at Liverpool jumped up several notches on Friday as pre-season got underway.
It’s bound to be a slightly different campaign for the Reds as they come to terms with the loss of Jurgen Klopp as their manager.
Arne Slot certainly has plenty going for him, though, and the new boss began work with fragments of his Liverpool squad on Friday.
There were only eight players officially available for Slot to familiarise himself with. Although youngsters such as Ben Doak have also been getting down to business at the AXA Training Centre.
As Slot begins to implement his methods, it really feels like certain Liverpool players could explode under his tutelage.
Jeff Stelling raves about ‘sensational’ Cody Gakpo
There are a number of Liverpool players who look ready to go up another level or two under Slot.
Darwin Nunez is perhaps the most obvious one of this group. The Uruguayan has struggled to show his best self at times across two years at Anfield.
The talent is obviously there, though, and Slot has outlined how he has already spoken to Nunez about what he sees his long-term role as being.
Another player who can become even better with the former Feyenoord boss managing him is Cody Gakpo.
Gakpo has had a stunning Euro 2024 with the Netherlands, scoring three goals in their four games so far. However, the 25-year-old has not always shown the same kind of form with Liverpool.
READ MORE: Kostas Tsimikas and Conor Bradley react to Cody Gakpo’s latest goal at Euro 2024
As a result, pundit Jeff Stelling has told TalkSPORT that while Gakpo’s excellence in Germany has surprised him, it must have brought excitement for Liverpool supporters.
“I didn’t expect that I would be including him in any top fives before he arrived here because I wasn’t his biggest fan, to be honest, but Cody Gakpo, I just think he has been sensational,” Stelling raves.
“He’s not prolific at Liverpool, he’s not even sure of his place, but I love the way he gets the ball, he’s unafraid to run with the ball, drive down the middle, down the wings,” he adds.
“I just think he has been a revelation and Liverpool fans must be, oh, looking forward to him next season.”
Cody Gakpo set for change in position
Part of the reason Gakpo has looked so good for the Netherlands is because he has been playing from the left, instead of centrally.
Former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge claimed that Gakpo has ‘looked like a different player‘ so far this summer and the tweak in position has certainly helped with that.
Inevitably, Slot was asked about where he sees Gakpo playing during his first press conference with Liverpool on Friday.
Although the Dutch coach kept his cards close to his chest, it feels likely that he could follow Ronald Koeman’s lead and shift his countryman out into his favoured position.
If that happens and Gakpo carries his form into the new season, Liverpool fans will have reason to be very excited.
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