Liverpool have spent £200m, but that's only half the cost of Arne Slot's revolution

TPO - While many teams have yet to sign any new players, Liverpool have spent £200 million on four expensive new players. However, the shopping spree at Anfield has not stopped.

Liverpool agreed a £40m deal with Bournemouth for left-back Milos Kerkez on Friday (June 20), taking the Premier League champions' total outlay since the start of the summer to over £200m.

They have already completed a £116m deal for Florian Wirtz, with another £29.5m spent on Jeremie Frimpong and a £29m deal completed last year for goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.

However, Arne Slot also wants to recruit Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi, along with Newcastle duo Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon. If these deals are completed, it is expected that The Kop will have to spend another 200 million pounds.

With 116 million pounds, Florian Wirtz became the most expensive player in Liverpool and Premier League history.

On the day Liverpool won their 20th English title, Slot paid tribute to his predecessor Jurgen Klopp for the legacy he left behind. Indeed, the Reds were crowned champions on the basis of the existing foundations, with the signings made by the German strategist. Not wanting to create too much chaos, Slot tried to make the most of what he had and only tweaked the tactics a little, shifting to more possession and added flair in attack.

But now it is time for the Dutchman to build his own legacy, with a team built by him. This is the kind of revolution he had at Feyenoord. After his first season in 2021/22, Slot initiated major changes.

In the summer of 2022 alone, he sold 16 players, including Tyrell Malacia to Manchester United and Luis Sinisterra to Leeds, while 11 others were loaned out or released. In addition to the departures, with a budget of around £35 million, Slot brought in 15 new signings that fit his philosophy.

The 2024/25 Premier League champions will soon be in for a shake-up.

As a result, Slot's team won the Dutch championship in the 2022/23 season, then won the National Cup in 2023/24. These achievements convinced Liverpool's board of directors, tempting them to make him Klopp's successor.

At Anfield, Slot has been very successful in the transition of the dynasty, thereby building trust in the players as well as the Board of Directors, promoting a massive blood change this summer. Of course, Wirtz plays a central role, becoming the conductor of the newly established orchestra.

In the last two Bundesliga seasons, Wirtz has been involved in 44 goals, including 21 goals and a high 23 assists, while also ranking fifth in Europe's top five leagues for chances created (124). When the German star combines with Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz and Isak (if Newcastle can convince), with Mac Allister, Van Dijk, Kerkez down the line, Liverpool are truly fearsome.

Liverpool's predicted line-up for next season, with new signings and potential targets.

Those who come must go. With Kerkez's arrival, Andy Robertson's future is in doubt. Liverpool do not want to lose both full-backs in the same summer, and need strength in depth when competing in four competitions next season. However, Robertson does not want to be a second choice at 31. Atletico's offer is attractive and The Kop may accept, after all, the Scottish defender only has 1 year left on his contract.

Similarly, centre-back Ibrahima Konate has also entered the final year of his contract but negotiations on a renewal have stalled due to high wage demands. The Merseyside club are keen to avoid the same fate as Trent Alexander-Arnold, and are prepared to part ways if things do not improve.

Jarell Quansah is also reportedly on the verge of a move to Bayer Leverkusen, Darwin Nunez has attracted interest from Napoli and Kostas Tsimikas, Joe Gomez and Harvey Elliott are on their way out of Anfield. Liverpool, however, need to balance the books after a costly summer, in exchange for a completely new team with Slot's stamp. So far they have recouped £20.9m from Alexander-Arnold (to Real) and goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher (to Brentford).

Having won the English Premier League in his first season in charge, the Dutchman has said that “this is just the beginning of further successes”, and that the club must have a “big team mentality” to build a winning streak. “Many teams have won the Premier League, but not many have won it consecutively,” he said. Spending hundreds of millions of pounds to change the squad is one of the signs that Slot needs.

Thanh Hai

Source: https://tienphong.vn/liverpool-da-chi-ra-200-trieu-bang-nhung-day-moi-chi-la-mot-nua-chi-phi-cho-cuoc-cach-mang-cua-arne-slot-post1753253.tpo