Liverpool could cash in on a number of high-profile players in the next transfer window.
Liverpool could part with five first-team players this summer as Arne Slot prepares for his first major reshuffle. The Reds are powering towards the Premier League title and they could cement their status as England’s top dog with a successful transfer window at the end of the season.
Anfield bosses tasked Slot with extracting more out of the players he inherited from Jurgen Klopp instead of spending big on new recruits last summer. That proved to be a masterstroke, with the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Mohamed Salah finding red-hot form while Liverpool have saved their cash for future endeavours.
And it could pay off this summer, with Liverpool expected to splash out after learning that Slot is the right man to take them forward. The club’s transfer kitty would be in an even healthier position if those deemed surplus to requirements are moved on.
Sky Germany has cited five players as ‘potential departures’ this summer with Caoimhin Kelleher, Wataru Endo, Harvey Elliott, Federico Chiesa and Diogo Jota all believed to be on the chopping block.
Kelleher has been a more than capable back-up goalkeeper behind Alisson Becker, but with a deal already in place for Giorgi Mamardashvili to arrive ahead of next season, the Republic of Ireland international is widely expected to pursue opportunities elsewhere.
Endo has been a popular rotation player under Slot, Elliott is a boyhood Liverpool fan with some standout moments in his six years at the club, and Jota has proven himself as a deadly finisher. Chiesa’s possible exit could also leave a sour taste, given that he has barely played this campaign.
However, if Slot wants to bring in new players, he would need to clear space in his team. There may also be a handful of exits outside the manager’s control as Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s contracts expire.
Slot hinted at a hectic summer when he spoke about transfers last month. “We are looking at every single position and the entire team,” the Dutchman stated. “We didn’t do anything [last summer] because I and everyone else involved just wanted to see how these players worked with me, the new manager.
“Now we have a very good idea about that, and I think it’s clear to you that I’m not going to tell you which positions we prefer, but it is clear that we’ve assessed the squad, we’ve assessed what we think where we can improve, and that’s where we try to go for in the summer.”
