Arne Slot admits three factors could influence Liverpool's summer transfer plans

Arne Slot says Liverpool are plotting their summer transfer window but plans remain flexible. The Reds head coach admits a number of matters could influence what business they do at the end of the season. That includes player performance from now until the end of the season, the ambitions of current fringe figures in the squad lacking minutes and the contracts of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk.

Liverpool did not make any signings in the January window and their only arrival last summer was the £10m acquisition of Federico Chiesa. Slot said: “It would be a bit weird if I said I was so happy with this team in the summer window and this winter window that now in the next window we bring 15 new players in. “But you always have to be prepared for all the new things coming up. Will the players that don't play a big part at the moment, will they be able to do this another year? Will they fight for their place or will they [want to] go somewhere else? So we have to be prepared for the next window and what we can do.”.

Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold are all out of contract this summer. But they remain in negotiations with the club and there remains hope they will all commit their future to the Reds. “Of course we have some contractual situations that you don't probably don't know about,” joked Slot. "But Trent, Mo and Virgil haven't extended yet. So we are aware of the fact that we have to be sharp and ready for things that can happen.".

Liverpool didn’t land Martin Zubimendi last summer which forced a rethink on the No.6 position with Ryan Gravenberch adapting to the role and he is now excelling in it which may mean they don’t need to look at that in the summer. But Slot insists any signings will have to meet the highest of standards, something he is agreed with on with sporting director Richard Hughes. "I think Richard said this already and maybe I said it once or twice as well that with the 'new regime' coming in, with Richard, me and some others, the first thing we wanted to do was see what we had over here,” said Slot.

“What could we do with them? Ryan Gravenberch is a great example of that, he quickly became the No.6 just by working with players and every single day or a lot of days, we constantly adjust asking: where are we?. “What quality do we have? Can we add something? Yes or no. And then there is the question: is that quality available? Only so many players are good enough to play for this team. “That is also not so easy. If you are at Feyenoord, there are more players available than if you are at Liverpool for the right price. But at the moment, we are very happy with what we have. But in football, things can change as well. If in the upcoming three months, a certain player who has done so well starts to play poorly, then you might have to adjust.”.

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