Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics:Ā Arne Slot, Liverpool, Premier League, Football, Jurgen Klopp, Mohamed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk, Football Manager
Ryan Smart
Topics:Ā Arne Slot, Liverpool, Premier League, Football, Jurgen Klopp, Mohamed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk, Football Manager
We simulated Arne Slot's first season as the manager of Liverpool - and the results were incredible.
Liverpool and Feyenoord have reached an agreement in principle for Slot to take over from Jurgen Klopp at Anfield next season.
The 45-year-old, who guided Feyenoord to the Eredivisie title last season, has already publicly confirmed his desire to switch clubs.
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All that is left, it appears, is for the deal to be finalised, with Slot following in Klopp's footsteps once he departs the club at the end of the current campaign.
With that in mind, we've simulated what an Arne Slot-led Liverpool could look like using Football Manager 2024 - with some intriguing results from his first season at the helm.
Arne Slot as Liverpool manager - Transfers
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Many Reds fans believe that signing a new centre forward should be one of Liverpool's main priorities, and a virtual Arne Slot seems to think so to.
The Dutchman splashes out a stunning Ā£86 million on Victor Osimhen from Napoli, although in the real world the striker signed a new deal in December that possesses a release clause of over Ā£100 million.
Either way, the deal is something of a steal for the new Liverpool boss, who then spends a further Ā£25.5 million on Braga midfielder Ali Al Musrati.
Compatriot Jeremie Frimpong is Slot's third and final acquisition of the summer, joining in a cut-price Ā£34.5 million deal from Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen.
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As it turns out, most of that spending is funded by the surprise sale of captain Virgil van Dijk, who joins Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal for an initial Ā£57 million fee. Mohamed Salah, though, does stay at Anfield.
There is only one incoming piece of business in January, with Sporting Lisbon defensive midfielder Hidemasa Morita joining for Ā£38.5 million.
Arne Slot as Liverpool manager - On the pitch
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We'll start off with the bad news - Liverpool don't win a trophy under virtual Arne Slot in his first season.
A runners-up finish in the FA Cup is the closest they come to doing so, as the Reds are knocked out of the Champions League at the last 16 stage by none other than Tottenham. They also exit the Carabao Cup at the semi-final stage at the hands of Leeds United.
They finish second in the Premier League behind Arsenal, but the Reds' seven defeats to the four recorded by Mikel Arteta's side is ultimately their undoing.
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Arne Slot as Liverpool manager - Formation and personnel
Under Slot, Liverpool largely operate in a 4-2-3-1 system - with a couple of surprises when it comes to personnel.
Joel Matip agrees a new deal at Anfield after recovering from a serious knee injury, and goes on to play 34 matches at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate - who plays the most games of any Liverpool player (54) in the season.
New signing Al Musrati and Wataru Endo are Slot's preferred defensive midfield duo - although Morita replaces the former in the second part of the season - with Alexis Mac Allister only on the bench of the best eleven.
Darwin Nunez, meanwhile, only makes 23 appearances but provides a handy return of 12 goals in all competitions.
And new signing Frimpong made just one appearance after January, with virtual Reds fans no doubt scratching their heads at that move given the presence of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
As far as the entire squad goes, Salah is comfortably Liverpool's best-performing player over the season with an average rating of 7.90.
The Egyptian also signs a new contract to keep him at Anfield beyond 2025 - Reds fans will be certainly hoping that the same happens in the real world...