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Arne Slot has a lot to consider regarding his squad once the summer transfer window opens.
Liverpool’s summer transfer window is shaping up to be a blockbuster period as the transfer rumours and contract speculations continue to surround the club.
A raft of changes are expected over the coming months under Arne Slot, with the Reds likely entering the market as Premier League champions. The Dutch manager kept the bulk of his inherited squad in tact but the end of the season will mark a chapter of change at Anfield.
It is looking increasingly likely that Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah will leave as free agents. The latter’s emotional response to the Reds’ exit from the Champions League earlier this week had fans speculating that he was acknowledging he’d played his last European match for Liverpool.
While the trio’s situation is one of the biggest talking points surrounding the Reds right now, there are other players whose futures have come into question. Fringe players’ positions are starting to be cast into doubt and LiverpoolWorld’s Will Rooney thinks Harvey Elliott is headed for a less than desirable role under Slot.
Harvey Elliott may have to rethink Liverpool position
“I don’t think people realise how young Harvey Elliott is, he’s still only 21 and he’s already played 138 games as we speak for Liverpool. He reached 100 appearances quicker than Steven Gerrard and that’s saying something,” Rooney recently discussed.
“It feels like he has been around the first team for years and he’s still only 21. I think that’s testament to his ability and how precocious he’s been as a footballer. Now, the challenge Harvey Elliott faces is, how does he go from being a talented youngster to becoming a regular starter for Liverpool? Because it’s not an easy task, there’s been plenty of players who have been in and around the first team and just haven’t made it because it’s such a difficult step up to make.
“I think Elliott is now getting to the age where he will have to assess things, he will have to have some frank conversations in terms of his future, his role... Because in the current system, I don’t think there’s an out-and-out role for him.
“I think he’s a tremendous player and I think the way football is going, if you are happy to almost pigeonhole yourself as a someone who comes off the bench for the last 20 minutes, I think he could have a tremendous career like that. I think he could play for Liverpool for the rest of his career coming off the bench. But no footballer wants that, let’s be honest. They want to play as much football as they can, and that’s a decision that he might have to make in the future.”
What does the future hold for Harvey Elliott?
Elliott has proven his ability to come off the bench and make an impact on a match but at 21, clubs will be eager to sign him and give him a cemented starting role.
Despite having limited time on the pitch this season, the versatile midfielder’s attitude remains positive. During a recent interview with The Anfield Wrap, Elliott was asked whether he thought he recent performances had bumped him up the pecking order under Slot.
“I’m not sure really, that’s a question to ask him!” he replied. “All I can do is just be ready, whether it’s a start, whether it’s coming off the bench, five, 10 minutes, 45 minutes. You don’t know as a player, you just need to be ready at all costs.
“I think every player wants to start a game, especially these kinds of games because it’s a cup final, but at the same time we’re a team. You can’t get too worked up and angry, because the manager makes the decisions and that’s final. He’s the boss.
“It’s just about doing your bit for the team. It’s a hard thing to understand and get your head around, but as much as you want to be annoyed, as frustrated as you are, you can’t let it affect you, you can’t let it get the better of you.”
In other news,Four Liverpool players to miss cup final after Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate update