Fabrizio Romano delivers major Arne Slot, Liverpool sack update as crucial factor soars after Nott’m Forest clash | OneFootball

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has been told the “situation is quite clear” over how he can avoid the sack at Anfield this summer, though Sunday’s last-gasp win at Nottingham Forest has seen his chances of achieving his goal significantly inflated, according to Opta.

The reigning Premier League champions will let go of their grip on the title over the coming weeks and months as Arsenal and Manchester City lock horns in what is increasingly looking like a two-horse race. Now down in sixth, Liverpool have been badly off the pace ever since their form fell off a cliff in the autumn and truth be told, they are yet to find a consistent rhythm ever since.

Given the £440m (€505m, $600m) the club splashed out on squad reinforcements over the summer, the way the season has panned out has, understandably, seen Slot‘s future at Anfield called into question on several occasions throughout the campaign.

And while the club’s overlords, FSG, are refusing to rush into a decision, instead waiting to see how the campaign will pan out and with the club still hopeful of trophy success in the Champions League and FA Cup, Slot has been persistently told that his future will depend wholly on his ability in bringing Champions League football back to Anfield again next season.

Sunday’s last-gasp win at the City Ground – courtesy of Alexis Mac Allister’s 90+7 minute winner – means the gap on the top four has now been reduced to goal difference only, though Manchester United can pull three points clear again on Monday evening, should they claim a win over Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Now, in a timely reminder at what is at stakes, Fabrizio Romano has told his ‘Here We Go’ podcast: “For Arne Slot, the situation is quite clear: being in the Champions League next season is crucial for Liverpool.

“It will also help Arne Slot arriving toward the end of the season in a more relaxed situation with the club. Otherwise, if Liverpool aren’t in the Champions League next season, let’s see what kind of Champions League campaign they’ll enjoy.

“This could bring Liverpool into an important review for the summer. Now, the full focus is on the pitch, and the opportunity to win a trophy, of course, will be massive for Liverpool.

“Then, in the summer, a review of the club. Let’s see if Liverpool will be in the Champions League next season or not, and this will be one of the factors to decide on Arne Slot.

“So I expect the club at the end of the season to meet – owners, board, management, all together – to decide what they want to do.”

Slot’s chances of avoiding Liverpool sack soar after Forest clash

Heading into Sunday’s game and despite a similarly gritty 1-0 win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, Opta had rated Liverpool as having just a 33.04% of finishing in the top four and bringing Champions League football back to Anfield.

However, after Mac Allister’s controversial winner, which arrived after a tight VAR review and just moments after the same player scored a goal disallowed for handball, Opta’s supercomputer has now increased those chances to 50.78% – a slightly better than 50/50 chance that could ultimately decided Slot’s fate.

Of course, regardless of what any computer can predict, Liverpool can only look after their own fate by ensuring they continue to win matches – and they will undoubtedly need to perform better than they did in the first half of the City Ground, which was described by Slot as their worst half of football since he arrived at Anfield.

Speaking to the media after the game, he admitted: “[I told them at half-time] that it was the worst first half that we’ve played.

“But we defended our box really well, and that was the reason that we were still 0-0.

“As much as Forest were the better team and were forcing us to go back, we defended really well in our box, in my opinion.

“We had to defend lots of set-pieces throughout the whole game, especially in the first half, so if we could bring that mentality to the whole pitch, combined with doing a few things better on the ball and maybe not losing every ball you touch, because that was almost what happened, then you know that these players can do better.

“I tried to give them a bit of energy to say, ‘Yeah, they’ve played Thursday, difficult away game, maybe they run out of energy, and we, for sure, cannot have run out of energy yet’.

“So maybe that can balance the game more, or get the game in our advantage.

“I pointed out our second half against City as well, that we are able, after a first half that was maybe not of the standards we would like, to play much better [in the] second.”

Latest Liverpool transfer news: Bayern believe Reds have winger agreement

On the transfer front, Xabi Alonso has reportedly made it clear to Liverpool that he wants the club’s owners to sign a top star from Real Madrid in the summer transfer window if he is to take charge.

In other, very sizeable news, a report claims how Bayern Munich ‘believe’ Liverpool have reached a ‘personal agreement’ with a hugely-talented winger ahead of a potential €100m transfer this summer.

Such an arrival could pave the way for Mohamed Salah’s departure and now outspoken pundit, Rafael Van der Vaart, believes a parting of the ways would be the “best for both sides” before the Egyptian’s situation at Anfield turns sour.

Salah was subbed after 77 minutes on Sunday, with the Egyptian enduring another difficult afternoon and with his tally this season now reading seven goals and eight assists this season from 28 appearances across all competitions – way down on his usually very high standards.

Elsewhere, Liverpool have learnt the transfer fee they need to pay Tottenham Hotspur to sign one of their gems.