Liverpool will lose two highly experienced members of their squad when Andy Robertson and Mo Salah leave in the summer, and there's been plenty of speculation regarding Arne Slot's future
Arne Slot has opened up on Liverpool's plans(Image: This Is Anfield)View 2 Images
Arne Slot has shed light on Liverpool's summer transfer plans, suggesting that he's going nowhere. Slot, 47, is under more pressure than ever after losing four of his last six games and managing just one win.
A significant portion of Liverpool's fan base are calling for him to be sacked either now or at the end of this season, but it'll be a summer of change regardless. On Thursday, Andy Robertson followed in Mo Salah's footsteps and announced that he'll be leaving the club in June.
The pair, 32 and 33, respectively, are two of Slot's most experienced players and have been instrumental in Liverpool's most successful period of the modern era. Robertson and Salah's exits will leave Wataru Endo, Alisson, Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez as the only players above the age of 28 in Slot's squad.
Some fans have called for Liverpool to stray from their policy of signing young players with high resale value in order to compensate for loss of experience. But Slot says that the club's owners, Fenway Sports Group, won't change tack.
"Our model is completely clear," the Reds boss affirmed. "That is not to say we cannot make an exception because the club signed Wataru Endo and maybe Federico Chiesa was a little bit above the age we usually sign.
"I don't think that if this club has been successful the way we are having, we are going to change our model completely after a season that has not been so great. Especially because in the 16 years they are here, they have not won the league 16 times.
"There were more seasons where results were not as expected but they have always kept the same model which I signed for, which (sporting director) Richard [Hughes] signed for and which we are all aligned for."
Slot had said earlier in his press conference: "I have said many times I feel a lot of support from the owners and from Richard and (FSG chief executive of football) Michael [Edwards] as well."
Andy Robertson and Mo Salah have announced their impending departures(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)View 2 Images
In order to ensure that he retains their supporter and gets to the summer, however, Slot will need to turn his side's disastrous form around. Liverpool go into Saturday's clash with Fulham, ahead of which fans will protest against plans to raise ticket prices, six points adrift of fourth-placed Aston Villa.
Although the Premier League have now officially been given five Champions League spots, fifth would represent an underwhelming and nervy finish. The Reds also still in Europe this season.
After losing the first leg of their quarter-final 2-0 away to Paris Saint-Germain, they'll need another famous night at Anfield to reach the last four. They'll then play Everton in away Merseyside Derby next Sunday.