Sport
Liverpool prove they are the best-run club in the Premier League
Not long after clinging his first Premier League title, Arne Slot took the opportunity to honour his predecessor, leading Anfield in a chant of Jurgen Klopp’s name. This season was predicated to be a difficult one for the Reds after Klopp left. Instead, it was a triumphant campaign that proved just how well-run Liverpool are as a club.
Liverpool made replacing Klopp look easy, but it wasn’t. They could have hired someone intent on a rebuild. Xabi Alonso and Ruben Amorim were linked with the job before Slot was appointed as something of a left-field option. The Dutchman, however, was the perfect man to build on the legacy Klopp left behind.
Slot has his own ideas on how the game should be played, but he was comfortable to use Klopp’s foundations. This ensured Liverpool didn’t need a period of acclimatisation at the start of the season. After a below par first half against Ipswich Town on the opening weekend of the campaign, the Reds found top gear quickly.
Over time, Slot might push Liverpool towards becoming a purer possession-based team. This season, though, the Anfield side still had the quick transition threat that made them one of the most dangerous teams anywhere in Europe during the Klopp era. Liverpool currently have the best of both worlds.
While Liverpool failed to add a new midfielder last summer with Martin Zubimendi ultimately choosing to stay at Real Sociedad, Slot remoulded the Reds in the centre of the pitch with Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister forging a strong understanding together. Now, it’s debatable whether Liverpool even need another midfielder to add to their squad.
Klopp might not have departed until the summer of 2024, but Liverpool started preparing for life after the German over the course of his final season in charge. The club brought in four new midfielders in the shape of Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo after rebuilding the forward line by signing Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez.
Fenway Sports Group (FSG) have faced criticism from some supporters over a lack of transfer activity. Last summer, for example, Liverpool made just one signing (Federico Chiesa) when many believed they needed reinforcements to compete for titles and trophies. FSG’s model, however, has continually delivered success.
Liverpool have repeatedly prioritised quality over quantity. Other clubs spend more on transfer fees, but the Reds have one of the highest wage bills in the Premier League. This will rise even more now that Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk have been signed to contract extensions beyond the end of the season.
Arsenal and Manchester City will surely be more competitive in the Premier League title race next season. The Gunners will have better luck with injuries to key players while Pep Guardiola has already started moulding his new great team after signing four new players in the January transfer window. More money will be spent in the summer.
There’s good reason to believe Liverpool will improve too. With Salah and van Dijk now tied down, the Reds can focus on problem positions at left back and up front. Patience has worn thin with Nunez who could be replaced by another number nine before the start of the 2025/26 season. Trent Alexander-Arnold will also need replaced even if Conor Bradley is improving all the time.
What looked like being a potential cliff edge last summer with Klopp leaving now looks like a platform for Liverpool to achieve even more from. This season’s title triumph was somewhat unforeseen, but the future for the Anfield club could be even more glorious and FSG deserve credit.
