Arne Slot expects another Liverpool transition but Reds boss makes 'drastic' promise
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Liverpool boss Arne Slot admits there could be more changes at the club this summer following the wholesale changes of last yearArne Slot is expecting another period of transition for Liverpool this summer - but is confident it will "not be as drastic" as last year's extensive overhaul.The Reds will have work to do in the transfer window to strengthen a squad that will lose Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson at the end of the season with doubts also over the futures of Alisson Becker, Curtis Jones and Federico Chiesa.Liverpool have suffered a disappointing defence of their Premier League crown having struggled to integrate £450million of new players, with more than half that amount having been raised by the departure of many established figures.They will already be bolstered next term by the arrival of 20-year-old centre-back Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes in a £60m deal, with more signings imminent.READ MORE: Arne Slot provides Alexander Isak and Alisson updates as surprise Liverpool return on cardsREAD MORE: Desire Doue Liverpool 'dream' as Xabi Alonso sent manager warningAnd asked if he was concerned over the possibility of another season of transition, Slot said: "No, I am only looking forward to it so I have no worry at all, as I looked forward to working with these players two years ago and one year ago to look forward to working with the players now."As a manager you are never worried, you just look forward to starting working with a group of players."Indeed it will be another little transition, probably not as drastic as it was last summer, but we have to change a bit of personnel because of the players who are leaving."One of them (Andy Robertson) will probably be replaced with Kostas Tsimikas as he is coming back from a loan."With so many experienced players close to leaving, there have been concerns Liverpool could be losing a winning mentality that has seen them lift major honours in the past seven years, first under Jurgen Klopp and then Slot.And while accepting the transfer market could provide an answer, Slot believes there is already the required character within the squad regardless of age.“For me mentality has nothing to do with age and I think you know because when Mo was 26 and these players were all in their prime they were able to win the Champions League, to win the Premier League, to pick up 99 points, so you don’t have to be 32 to know what standards means," he said."Recently we have quite a good example of players that are not that old, the ones of Paris Saint-Germain who definitely have the standards what it takes to win a game of football in terms of attacking with 11 and defending with 11."For me mentality has absolutely nothing but nothing to do with age but more with the character and personality of a player. Of course you can inject this in the transfer market but we also have a lot of players, maybe all of them, that have the right mentality to play for this club.“There is a difference between bonding and mentality.
When it comes to bonding, it makes complete sense that players who have played six, seven, eight, nine years together have more bonding than when there are a group of players that are new with each other."Slot added: "I’m only looking forward to starting again next season but my main aim is getting over the line in the upcoming three games and then go on a holiday."When I am on holiday I am already with a lot of energy looking forward to next season, which is going to take me three, four or five weeks before every player is back from the World Cup."FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page