Arne Slot could end his first season at Liverpool by winning the Premier League. He will enter a very exclusive club of Reds managers to win the league and it would be even more special as the Merseyside giants would equal Manchester United’s haul of 20 top-flight titles. The Dutchman would be on cloud nine but he would also have the power to usher in changes that he would want.
Slot was appointed as the Liverpool head coach at the end of last season and there was an expectation that while he would have a say in recruitment, it would largely be driven by sporting director Richard Hughes.
A poor summer meant Liverpool had to depend on Slot to go into his coaching reserves and he did turn Ryan Graveberch into an elite defensive midfielder this season after the club failed to sign a new number 6.
As Liverpool grew as favourites to win the Premier League and the Championship, Slot’s stature has also gone up and the Dutchman is now getting into a position where he could demand things from the hierarchy.
Whether the Liverpool manager uses that power in the winter window is debatable but a league title under his belt would surely make him the definitive voice inside the club next summer.
If Slot wants to wring in the changes and even demands a change in the system, there are very few people at Liverpool who could go against him, especially if the Reds are Premier League champions.
The sign that Arne Slot could change the system
Liverpool are yet to sort out a new contract for Trent Alexander-Arnold and Real Madrid are pushing hard to take him to Spain on a free transfer next summer.
According to the Daily Briefing, there are real concerns inside Anfield that Real Madrid will succeed in getting their hands on the 26-year-old right-back.
Slot has identified fellow Dutchman Jeremie Frimpong as the top target to replace Alexander-Arnold if the latter moves on next summer.
The Bayer Leverkusen star is also keen on a move to Anfield and his arrival could really usher in a change in system.
Frimpong has been a success at Bayer Leverkusen in a back-three system with him playing as the right wing-back. For the moment, there is little evidence to suggest that he is good enough defensively to be part of a back-four.
It would be cavalier to consider that Frimpong would be expected to not only adapt to the Premier League but also play as a right-back with all its defensive responsibility.
Slot could still find a way to deploy him as a traditional right-back while ensuring his attacking game gets the platform to flourish. However, playing a back-three would be the easier route to get Frimpong into the team.
The talk of Liverpool being in the market for more than one centre-back also suggests that the manager could tinker with the system next season.
Winning the Premier League this term would give him the capital to shape the team in the way he wants.
