Arne Slot’s Liverpool have been nowhere near good enough this season
The campaign may still have over three months remaining, but major decisions are already being mulled over at Liverpool.
Following a crushing 2-1 defeat at home to Manchester City, the Reds are five points adrift of Manchester United in fourth, with Champions League qualification for next season hanging in the balance. Arne Slot’s side have failed to mount any credible defence of their Premier League title despite spending a colossal £450m last summer.
Both he and the club’s sporting director Richard Hughes are under huge pressure after a nightmare season so far. And fans will expect them to address the glaring weaknesses in the Liverpool squad once the summer transfer window opens, having failed to do so in January. Hopes of this campaign being anything other than a huge failure now rest on finishing in the top four or five and winning either the FA Cup or Champions League. Here’s all the latest news from Anfield.
The Reds are said to be close to handing Dominik Szoboszlai a substantial new deal following his outstanding campaign so far for the Reds.
The Hungarian, who is midway through a five-year agreement, had a rollercoaster of a game against City, scoring a spectacular long-range freekick to give the Reds a 1-0 lead, playing Bernardo Silva onside for City’s equaliser, then getting sent off in controversial fashion as he attempted to prevent the visitors making it 3-1.
He had once again been deployed at right-back in the game amid a defensive injury nightmare, showing why he is one of the most versatile players in the squad. The 25-year-old has expressed his desire to remain at Anfield, with negotiations ongoing.
According to several reports, those discussions are nearing a conclusion, which could see Szoboszlai join the club’s elite earners on approximately £250,000 per week. Szoboszlai has made his position crystal clear, though, insisting he doesn’t view right-back as his permanent home and is eager to get back into midfield.
He said recently: “Not long-term, not even medium-term to be honest in my head. As I’ve said before I’m a midfielder and hopefully our right-back is going to come back from injury and I can get back in the middle.”
Rumours connecting Real Madrid with Ibrahima Konate simply refuse to die down.
Reports emerged at the tail end of last year suggesting the Spanish heavyweights had cooled their pursuit of the French centre-back, whose deal runs out at the season’s end.
Yet ESPN have claimed that Real maintain their interest in the 26-year-old, who continues negotiations with Liverpool regarding fresh terms.
Speaking before Sunday’s clash with Manchester City, Slot confirmed that discussions between the club and Konate’s camp were still active.
With an agreement to keep him at Anfield seemingly some way off, Real Madrid are perfectly positioned to strike, particularly as they’re now permitted to speak directly with the player, which only bolsters Konate’s bargaining power.
