Arne Slot arrived at Liverpool last summer without fanfare into an atmosphere of uncertainty following his iconic predecessor Jurgen Klopp’s shock decision to leave Anfield.
The 46-year-old Dutch coach built a fine reputation with successes at Feyenoord, but was an unknown quantity to many Liverpool supporters and untested in the Premier League.
Slot’s understated persona was in sharp contrast to the charismatic Klopp, whose departure shaped expectations to the extent that a top-four finish and continued Champions League football was the widely accepted target for Liverpool’s fanbase.
The pressure of being Liverpool manager is ever-present – but early expectation management in the new era meant levels were adjusted accordingly.
Fast forward a remarkable 12 months and Slot’s Liverpool start the new campaign as Premier League champions, strolling to the title with a 10-point margin and four games to spare, barely threatened from Christmas onwards.
What should have been a summer of celebration has been lived under the shadow of the tragic death of much-loved forward Diogo Jota, killed in a car crash, and the incident in which many Liverpool fans were injured at the title parade.
In the purely sporting context, however, the landscape has shifted dramatically for the club – and with it comes increasing pressure and scrutiny on Slot to deliver more success.
After barely dipping into his spending pot last summer, Slot now has an array of new talent at his disposal following a remarkable summer spending spree that could yet comfortably top £300m – making the Reds firm favourites to retain their crown.
Liverpool have signed Florian Wirtz, one of Europe’s hottest properties, in a £116m deal from Bayer Leverkusen, a new pair of full-backs in Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong for a combined £70m from Bayer Leverkusen and Bournemouth respectively, then added Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike in a deal that could be worth £70m.
Add to this the possibility that Crystal Palace captain and defensive lynchpin Marc Guehi could sign for £35m is growing. They have also secured a £26m move for 18-year-old centre-back Giovanni Leoni from Parma.
Liverpool may yet add Newcastle United’s £150m-rated rebel striker Alexander Isak to their ranks, which effectively means Slot cannot afford to fail to deliver a trophy and a challenge for the biggest prizes – namely another title and the Champions League.
