Liverpool need another big summer window in order to complete the rebuild of Arne Slot’s squad, but it might not be that simple.
The buildup to Wednesday’s trip to the Stadium of Light has been quieter than usual, with so much mental energy spent on that bizarre Man City game two days ago.
After yet another disappointing Premier League display, Slot was asked about what he considers an acceptable season at Liverpool. Like most, Slot sees Liverpool qualifying for the Champions League as a bare minimum.
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A bleak comparison for Slot 😬
Not only because of the expectations that come with representing this club, but because failing to do so could be detrimental to Liverpool’s transfer plans in the summer.
Arne Slot says Champions League qualification will make or break the transfer window
It should first be acknowledged that a failure to make the Champions League next season would likely mean the issues that arise are dealt with by someone else.
Slot retains FSG backing, but missing out on a qualifying spot would surely be the final straw.
If that were to happen, Liverpool would be in a very tricky position as it pertains to transfers.
In his press conference ahead of Sunderland, Slot spoke plainly: “If we don’t have Champions League football, it’s definitely not been an acceptable season.”
On the damage that would do to their sustainable model’s ability to compete in the market, he said: “This is what I said when I arrived here, we could only sign Federico Chiesa, and that was after the Europa League season.
“So that does have an enormous impact in the way this club is run. So that is clear. Yeah, we are completely aware.”
There are grand plans being discussed at Liverpool, but they won’t come to fruition if that all-important prize money is not secured.
Rank Liverpool’s summer signings from first to last! 🤔
- Florian Wirtz – Bayer Leverkusen (£116m)
- Hugo Ekitike – Eintracht Frankfurt (£79m)
- Milos Kerkez – Bournemouth (£40m)
- Jeremie Frimpong – Bayer Leverkusen (£29.5m)
- Giovanni Leoni – Parma (£26m)
- Alexander Isak – Newcastle United (£125m)
- Giorgi Mamardashvili – Valencia (£29m)
Arne Slot doesn’t need to worry about a cheap summer
As we mentioned, this isn’t something that should play on the Dutchman’s mind for too long.
In the event that Liverpool miss out on the Champions League, it seems impossible that Slot would still be in a job.
Falling out of the title race is one thing. Plummeting out of top-five contention is something else entirely.
Peter Schmeichel guarantees Liverpool will qualify. But then, Jamie Carragher is losing faith in Slot and doesn’t back him to rescue it.
Leaving the manager to one side for a minute, it would be catastrophic for Liverpool to lose that financial boost with so much work to be done on the squad in the summer.
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