Liverpool are set to have a busy summer transfer window with a host of arrivals and departures expected as Arne Slot looks to freshen up his squad
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has been typically bullish in the transfer market this summer
(Image: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Arne Slot's decisive approach to Liverpool's summer transfer window should not come as a shock, particularly to Manchester United and Leeds United. The Dutch manager has hit the ground running with signings after guiding the club to Premier League glory in his debut season.
Liverpool have already secured Armin Pecsi from Puskas Akademia and Bayer Leverkusen pair Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz, with the latter joining for a hefty £100million plus an additional £16m in add-ons.
With Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez also on the brink of a move to Anfield, it's been a bustling window for arrivals at Liverpool, as Slot aims to balance this with multiple departures this summer.
With Jarell Quansah nearing a £35m switch to Leverkusen, Liverpool stars such as Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz, Harvey Elliott and Andy Robertson are also being linked with exits as Slot continues to mould the team to his liking.
Such a significant revamp of first-team starters might seem daunting for a head coach, but Slot certainly has experience in this area, having implemented a similar strategy after his inaugural season at Feyenoord.
After securing third place in his first season with the Eredivisie heavyweights, Slot offloaded several key players, including Tyrell Malacia to Man United and Luis Sinisterra to Leeds. The latter ended the season as the club's top scorer across all competitions with 23 goals.
He also transferred defender Marco Senesi to Bournemouth, while league top scorer Guus Till, who scored 15 goals, concluded his loan spell before signing for domestic rivals PSV, reports the Mirror.
Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott talking on the pitch
Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott could be sold this summer
Despite losing some key players, Slot's management skills propelled Feyenoord to their first league title in five years. The 46-year-old already admitted that he requires only the best to represent Liverpool as he threw praise on Mohamed Salah for the standard he's set at the club.
Earlier in the year, Slot explained: "If you want to play for Liverpool, you need to be at Mo Salah level. If you're not at his level, you are almost useless to play at this club, we only need players at the top of their game. Why? Because this is one of, if not the best club in the world to play for!"
Liverpool, not resting on their laurels, continue to seek further additions, with Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi and Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike reportedly on their radar. Liverpool's acquisition of Wirtz could break records as the Premier League's most significant deal, surpassing Chelsea's £115m spent on Moises Caicedo by £1m.
Arne Slot embracing Mohamed Salah after coming off
Arne Slot pinpointed Mohamed Salah as the player who has set the standard at Liverpool
Following the completion of his move, the German sensation shared with the club's official website: "I feel very happy and very proud. Finally it's done and I was waiting for a long time – finally it's done and I am really happy.
"I'm really excited to have a new adventure in front of me. This was also a big point of my thoughts: that I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League.
"Last season they won the Premier League so my goal is for sure to win it again and also to go further in the Champions League. I'm really ambitious. I'm not coming [to] have fun here, I want also to achieve something and give the fans what they deserve."