Liverpool have been plunged into a fresh crisis by their defeat against Wolverhampton as Arne Slot’s future and summer transfer business are on the agenda at Anfield
Liverpool put in a pathetic performance as the reigning Premier League champions lost 2-1 away against bottom of the table Wolverhampton Wanderers.
A last gasp goal from Andre consigned Arne Slot’s Reds to another stoppage time defeat, after Mohamed Salah had cancelled out Rodrigo Gomes’ opener. The Dutchman is now once again under pressure after his side missed the opportunity to go level on points with Manchester United and Aston Villa – in third and fourth respectively – leaving Liverpool in fifth, with Chelsea breathing down their necks in sixth.
Despite last summer’s massive near £500m transfer outlay, Slot’s unbalanced and underachieving squad is in need of surgery and stars could also be on their way out of Anfield, including defenders Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson, whose contracts are soon to expire. Reports of a remarkable reunion could see a recognisable figure returning to Anfield however, while details of a “very complicated” transfer involving former Reds manager Jurgen Klopp has emerged. Here’s all the latest news from Anfield.
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Liverpool could ‘make a change’
According to Football Insider, Slot is likely to be sacked if he fails to achieve Champions League qualification – just 12 months after lifting the Premier League title in his debut campaign.
And speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live after the defeat at Wolves, former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock suggested Slot could lose his job after a terrible season so far.
He said: “Liverpool are nowhere near where they would like to be. When you think about reigning champions and the title defence, it’s not gone to plan at all.
“There is a lot of talk about Arne Slot and what possibly might happen at the end of the season, and I think if he doesn’t get Champions League football, I wouldn’t be surprised if the club made a change.”
‘Very complicated’ transfer
Now a crucial player for Liverpool, there was a period when Ryan Gravenberch could scarcely secure playing time during his unsuccessful spell at Bayern Munich.
Following merely one season in Bavaria, the midfielder was lured away from the club by Jurgen Klopp and became the German’s final-ever acquisition on deadline day in 2023.
Despite cementing himself as one of the globe’s finest young midfielders at Ajax, his career faltered at Bayern, with former manager Julian Nagelsmann exploring the reasons why Gravenberch was unable to establish himself at the German powerhouse, reports the Mirror.
Speaking to Kicker, Nagelsmann said: “You have to pay extremely close attention to how a player handles being 15th or 16th in our squad, even though he’s considered a top-six player at his club, someone who always plays. Let me give you an example from my time at Bayern Munich.
“Ryan Gravenberch is a top-class player, he already was at Bayern, but the situation was very complicated for him after his transfer from Ajax. Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich were ahead of him in the pecking order, and I had also promoted Aleksandar Pavlovic.”
The Germany national team manager confessed that the role Gravenberch was assigned at Bayern didn’t suit his natural playing characteristics. He continued: “Ryan’s task was to step up his game in the last 20 minutes, but that’s not his style of play.
“Ryan is a player who needs consistent rhythm throughout the match. And then there are players you can bring on for 20 minutes, either to maintain a result or to desperately score a goal. They can give their all and leave everything on the pitch in those 20 minutes.”
Surprise reunion links
Despite offloading Jarell Quansah last summer, Liverpool are allegedly devising a strategy to bring back the England international.
Following his £35m switch to Bayer Leverkusen, the 23-year-old has become a regular fixture in the side and has already clocked up 32 appearances across all competitions, netting four goals.
In the transfer that took him to Germany, the Reds inserted a buy-back provision that will reportedly permit the champions to re-sign him for a sum around £51million.
Reports from Sky Germany suggest the Reds will trigger an €80 million (£69.7million) buy-back clause this summer.
Conflicting reports have stated, though, that the provision doesn’t become operational until 2027, so a deal might need to be struck with Leverkusen should Liverpool try to bring him back this summer.
While the Reds already have one centre-back heading to Anfield this summer in Jeremy Jacquet, the doubt surrounding Konate’s future persists with his contract running down at the season’s end.