Arne Slot must decide on four things for Liverpool right now, with Mohamed Salah being the only conundrum.
Arne Slot will succeed Jürgen Klopp as manager of Liverpool. We’ve looked at the matters he will have to decide upon first when the Feyenoord boss shows up. Arne Slot has some very large shoes to fill. Although Klopp acknowledged that Liverpool’s recent display of weakness may have made things easier, this won’t significantly alter fans’ expectations of the Feyenoord manager. But there are a lot of issues he’ll need to deal with early in his Liverpool career before he worries about any of that big-picture stuff. He won’t have much time to worry about how he compares to Klopp because of practical tactics difficulties and important transfer decisions.
What then will be waiting for Slot in the manager’s inbox? You can add your thoughts to the two that our Liverpool.com writers have already shared in the comments box below the article.
“Núñez and Salah are two pressing concerns”
– Matt Addison Salah: sell or hold? Without a doubt, Mohamed Salah has not performed at his peak in 2024. However, over that period, he has still scored a goal in every other Premier League game, so the criticism has been a little exaggerated. However, his altercation with Jürgen Klopp on the London Stadium touchline is unlikely to quell discussions about whether it’s time to move on. Naturally, when Liverpool didn’t play for more than a That will be the main storyline for the next week. Slot is going to arrive with a significant question to answer, but he won’t be the only one making decisions. Salah’s contract position is still a concern, even if he starts scoring frequently once more in the final three games of the season and the Klopp controversy is gone. To me, the most important question is: who else could Liverpool acquire that would be superior? This week, The Times published rumors that Liverpool had considered Christopher Nkunku as a backup when Núñez came. However, due to a string of injuries, he has only made seven appearances since moving to Chelsea. There are very few elite number nines available.
“Attack and midfield issues to resolve” — James Martin Gakpo and Díaz’s last query Darwin Núñez is hardly the only Liverpool attacker performing poorly. He has been made the victim of criticism, which is understandable considering that he was signed as a free-scoring number nine at considerable cost, but most of the front line has been let down by finishing. Diogo Jota is a notable clinical finisher, yet there is much evidence of his fitness problems. Even if Salah hasn’t been scoring much lately, he still has some credit in the bank (albeit it’s far from a simple contract call). Slot needs to evaluate the other two forwards, though. Working with Cody Gakpo may be a lot of fun for him, and he might even move the player back to the left wing, where he excelled at PSV.
However, it is impossible to deny that he has not performed as a poacher for Liverpool, failing to convert at the expected rate. As for Luis Díaz, he does a lot in the meantime, although objectives aren’t really one of his priorities right now. He finishes about the same as Núñez, which isn’t ideal even though it’s a little more acceptable for a winger. Is Slot able to bring out the best in Díaz and Gakpo, or will he have to make some tough decisions? Undoubtedly, Núñez is not the only one who has to be evaluated.