Ryan Babel says Liverpool have a top ‘talent’ who could have a great season under Arne Slot

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Liverpool players are getting used to being led by Arne Slot after working with him for the past couple of weeks.

It will have been a massive change for just about everyone at Liverpool, with Slot coming in to replace Jurgen Klopp after almost nine years.

But things have a way of becoming normality very quickly in football and the new head coach has settled in nicely at the AXA Training Centre.

Slot has been impressed with Sepp van den Berg while there will no doubt be many other players who have caught his eye besides.

But while we await the first fixture of the Dutchman’s reign, it’s also clear that most the key members of his Liverpool squad are yet to even meet him.

Ryan Babel backs Cody Gakpo for ‘great season’

Slot and his coaching staff will already be getting a good idea of who they will be able to count on this season.

While Van den Berg has reportedly done well, decisions have also been made on other fringe players. Rhys Williams is not training with the first-team, for example.

But while Slot, Sipke Hulshoff and the rest of the new-look gang will be making their minds up on what they’re currently seeing, they also know that the best is still yet to come.

Dominik Szoboszlai and Andy Robertson returned on Tuesday, meaning that Slot now realistically has four starters at most in his group.

He will no doubt be looking forward to the rest returning, with perhaps special attention on one man in particular: Cody Gakpo.

READ MORE: At least nine players set to miss Liverpool’s pre-season tour of the USA

Gakpo is not the best Liverpool player still to come back into the fold, but he had a great Euro 2024. Slot says he liked what he saw from Gakpo and is no doubt looking forward to working with his countryman.

And according to former Liverpool winger Ryan Babel, the fact that he and Slot share a nationality could be just the boost Gakpo needs to have a ‘great season.

“I think it could be a fresh start for him under new management and maybe it’s an advantage that the new coach is Dutch,” Babel tells The Redmen TV. “But I think everyone can recognise Cody Gakpo’s talent, he’s still very young.

“I believe now after this time already, I’m sure he understands now what has been asked from him and I’m sure he’s now on his holiday preparing mentally for a great season,” he adds, “I’m sure he wants to be more important and I’m sure he has more to give.”

Where will Cody Gakpo play under Arne Slot?

Gakpo had a decent first full season with Liverpool last year. The 25-year-old managed 16 goals and six assists across 53 games.

However, Gakpo could never really get a proper run in the side. He ended the campaign in the team and in good form, but he probably could have done more over the course of the year.

Jurgen Klopp admitted he’d made a mistake with Gakpo in trying to shoehorn him in to different positions.

For the Netherlands, the former PSV Eindhoven man has been effective from the left of the attack. Slot has not yet confirmed whether he’ll take up the same role back at Anfield.

Much will perhaps depend on those first impressions once Gakpo gets back on Merseyside. Wherever he plays, expectations have certainly been heightened for a big season to come from Cody.