Carragher reveals evidence for Arne Slot ‘not trusting his squad’ as two Liverpool signings touted
Jamie Carragher has picked out two positions Arne Slot will look to strengthen in the summer as he revealed the evidence for the the Liverpool boss “not trusting his squad”.
The Reds made just two signings last summer as Federico Chiesa joined in a £12.5m move from Juventus and Giorgi Mamardashvili signed from Valencia for £30m.
But Mamardashvili went back to the La Liga club on loan this season while Chiesa may as well not have made the move having barely featured, meaning Slot has had to make do with the squad built by Jurgen Klopp in his first season at the club.
He’s done quite the job, with Liverpool now just one point away from claiming their second Premier League title after Arsenal drew with Crystal Palace on Wednesday.
But Carragher claims Slot “doesn’t trust his squad” having stuck with “the same players every week” through most of the season, and picked out two key areas he expects sporting director Richard Hughes to be recruit in to give the Dutchman more options next season.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Carragher said: “If you look at Liverpool this season – this is not the manager’s squad, it is Jurgen Klopp’s.
“Arne Slot doesn’t trust the squad. When people talk about Liverpool at the end of the season, their style during the winter is not the same and is not consistent like the rest of the season. Slot plays the same players every week. We don’t know if that’s his way of play, but we will probably find out next season.
“If Ibrahima Konate or Virgil van Dijk got injured, who would come in at the back really? They have Jarell Quansah and Joe Gomez, who is injury prone. Liverpool need another centre-back to really push Konate. The same also applies in central midfield with Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch.”
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There’s also been speculation over whether the Reds will look to sign a new right-back with Trent Alexander-Arnold set to leave the club for Real Madrid as a free agent at the end of the season.
But Carragher believes Conor Bradley has proven himself worthy of stepping up to be first choice next term.
He said: “Eventually that lad will say, ‘I’m either going to play or I’ll move on as well.’ He’s done well enough – he’s probably played 40 or 50 games for Liverpool, and he’s done enough in those games where you’d still go and buy someone, but not a right-back for £40 or £50million.
“They might go and buy someone for £25million or buy a fourth-choice centre back who can play right back, and you give him (Bradley) 12 months [as first choice].”
