Arne Slot says Liverpool have “their eyes open to see what’s available” in the transfer market, but insists it’s tricky for the side he inherited from Jurgen Klopp.
Slot, who oversaw a successful pre-season tour of the United States with three consecutive victories, is yet to give the first sign of his reign at Anfield. However, discussions with sporting director Richard Hughes about the features that will be offered to them continue. daily.
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“Actually, the bar is very high for new signings because we have a lot of smart players,” Slot said. “It’s not so easy to first locate a player who meets those criteria and then, is he available? Then we have to come to an agreement with them, so it’s not easy to locate a player who can help us.
“Richard is running this and we’ll see what turns out. If he’s not with us, we communicate several times by phone.
“My main goal has been to work with the team and prepare them in the most productive way imaginable for the first Premier League game. He works on things and helps me stay informed.
When asked if he was looking to add a midfielder to his team this month, Slot responded: “I think Ryan (Gravenberch) did very well in that position (against Manchester United in South Carolina) and we have other characteristics as well.
“The most productive way to judge is when we have all the players back and we don’t have them yet, but a club like Liverpool helps to keep an eye on what is available, the players who can strengthen the team and that. ” That’s what we, especially Richard, also hope to do. This does not refer to a position. We constantly compare equipment, where we can do something and what we have.
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Decisions also have to be made in terms of spending. Liverpool have turned down offers for Wataru Endo, Sepp van den Berg and Fabio Carvalho, while teenagers such as Tyler Morton, Bobby Clark and Ben Doak are also sparking interest.
“I think other clubs have more players than we do, but it depends on who you count,” Slot said. “If you count all the teenagers on a hike, there are a lot, but some of them will go back to the under-21 or under-18 category, so I don’t think we have too many.
“In the top positions, we have double that number and that’s general. If you look at other Premier League clubs (laughs), you see more than twice as many players in each position. For me, we have a general number of players, especially if you play all those cup games and we have to play more Champions League games this season.
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Slot is set to assemble his full squad for the first time in Kirkby on Tuesday with Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Alisson back on board. Gomez was close to leaving Liverpool for Newcastle United earlier this summer when Anthony Gordon was reported to be heading in the opposite direction.
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Alexander-Arnold, who entered the final year of his contract, spoke to Slot ahead of the European Championship, but his future is not up for debate. “We didn’t talk about his commitment, we just talked about how he wanted me to play and how he could have compatibility with that style,” Slot revealed.
“He was basically focused on the Euros at the time we spoke and recently I saw clips of other people appearing to me and looking compatible and stylish. “I can’t wait to see him train.
“But others did pretty well on the outing, so it’s interesting to see if others come back and if the score goes up even more. “
“We have a smart platform to build on, and not just through this tour. Jürgen left this team in a very smart place. Now it’s up to us to continue to perform as Liverpool have done for so many years.
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(Top photo: Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)