Arne Slot facing six-game audition to secure Liverpool future as FSG maintain stance after PSG defeat | OneFootball

TEAMtalk understands Liverpool are maintaining a consistent internal message regarding the future of Arne Slot, despite their defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, confirming they will end the season without silverware – though the Dutchman will still need to prove himself worthy of retaining as the Reds gear up for an important end to the season.

Slot was allowed to spend some £440m (€505m, $600m) on reshaping the Liverpool squad last summer, with several high-profile signings aimed at creating a trophy legacy at Anfield. Instead, the club have performed well short of expectations, having cheaply surrendered their Premier League crown and failed to progress past the quarter-finals in any of the three cup competitions they have been involved in.

Given the trust placed in the squad, those results – which have seen the Reds suffer 16 defeats across all competitions this season – have fallen well below expectations at Anfield, where ambitions were set firmly on competing for – and winning – major honours this campaign.

However, TEAMtalk understands that the club are not rushing into any immediate decisions with regards a possible change of manager, with their stance remaining unchanged in the wake of the 4-0 aggregate defeat to the reigning European champions.

As previously reported, a full and in-depth end-of-season review from FSG’s football chief, Michael Edwards, and sporting director Richard Hughes is already planned, with Slot’s position set to be assessed alongside the wider performance of the squad, and overall direction of the project.

While all the signs indicate Slot will be allowed to remain at the helm, a change of manager is not entirely implausible, either. To that end, the Dutchman will, at the absolute minimum, need to book Liverpool’s place in the Champions League again next season with a top-five Premier League finish.

Failure to do so will leave his position vulnerable.

Tied alongside that, sources indicate that the six remaining fixtures of the Premier League campaign will also play a crucial role in shaping that final judgement.

The reaction of the players, both in terms of performances on the pitch and attitude within the group, is viewed as a key factor in determining whether Slot retains the full backing of the hierarchy.

Liverpool chiefs assessing Slot alternatives

TEAMtalk can also confirm that the long shadow of Xabi Alonso continues to loom over Anfield.

As previously revealed, Alonso is ready to return to management this summer after leaving Real Madrid midway through the season, and his availability is not going unnoticed. The Spaniard has also made it clear that a return to Anfield is something that would be of interest.

Andoni Iraola, who this week confirmed he is leaving Bournemouth at the end of his contract this summer, is another name reportedly of interest to Liverpool bosses. His high-intensity style, which bears more than a passing resemblance to Jurgen Klopp’s brand of football, has won him many admirers in the game, with the Spaniard having established Bournemouth as a tidy, mid-table Premier League side.

The fact that Hughes also brought the Basque tactician to the Vitality Stadium also strengthens claims that Liverpool could assess a potential move.

Furthermore, sources also revealed on Thursday that Liverpool have also been offered the chance to speak to Julian Nagelsmann, whose camp are keen to bring to the Premier League this summer.

The Reds, though, are just one of multiple Premier League sides who have been approached by intermediaries representing the current German national team manager.

While there is recognition internally that the season has not delivered the desired outcomes, there is also an understanding that context and progression will be taken into account before any firm calls are made.

For now, Liverpool’s message is clear: no snap decisions, no change in direction, but everything will be under review once the campaign concludes, with external options also beginning to come into sharper focus.

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Collymore insists Slot remains safe as Dutchman plans summer business

Despite all that, Stan Collymore has exclusively revealed to TEAMtalk why Slot will NOT be sacked by Liverpool this summer – even if the club misses out on a return to the Champions League next season.

“I don’t think going out of the Champions League at this point will make much difference for Arne Slot,” Collymore told TEAMtalk.

“Based on their form this season, you’d probably say that getting to the quarter-finals is about par. I don’t imagine many people would have looked at this Liverpool side and been shocked that they’re going out to PSG at this stage.

“That said, if they fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League, that raises a whole different set of questions about Slot. The team will be without Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson, who are two massive losses, so they need to be in a strong position to attract top-level players.

“Will top talents like Michael Olise want to join Liverpool if they’re in the Europa League? I doubt it…

“Even so, I still think Liverpool will stick with Slot even if they miss out on the Champions League. Winning the Premier League last season has given him plenty of breathing space, so I expect he’ll remain in charge regardless.”

In light of all that, Slot appears intent on planning for next season in charge of Liverpool, though the manager has expressed his concerns at how several of his top players are coming towards ‘the end of their cycle’.

“We have to sell to buy,” Slot told the media after Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat to PSG, which sealed a 4-0 aggregate loss. “We are losing some players on a free transfer. It is a big challenge in the summer, but the club has shown that this model works.

“As I said many times, the future looks very good, especially if we can sign players after good players leaving this summer.”

Discussing the end of the club’s cycle, referencing the glory era built by Jurgen Klopp, Slot continued: “We are a club in transition. A club always has certain cycles with certain players. A lot of them who were so successful for the club have already left or are leaving.

“Unfortunately, that also happens with free transfers, that will happen with Mo, that will happen with Robbo, and that has happened already with Trent… as you know, the club that we are we need to recoup our money and to spend again.

“That is the challenge that we had last season, we had to sell 10-11 players to sign five to six.”

Slot, however, insists he has full faith in the FSG transfer model; another indication that he, at least, is planning his own long-term future in the Liverpool hotseat.

“That’s going to be another challenge this summer, because we do have to replace the ones who are leaving but this club have shown so many times that this model works and with this model we can be successful and I am also proud to work for this club and work our model, it’s a nice way of trying to achieve your own success.”