Arne Slot lays out expectations of Richard Hughes at Liverpool

Arne Slot has admitted he expects the club’s sporting director, Richard Hughes, to keep Liverpool’s squad together to help build for next season.

The Dutchman is preparing for his first campaign in charge at Anfield after arriving from Feyenoord, where he won Eredivisie and KNVB Cup titles and reached the 2022 Europa Conference League final.

Slot has the rather unenviable task of replacing Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, with the German lifting Premier League and Champions League titles among a host of other major honours during his time at the club.

But Slot will be helped by Liverpool’s new sporting director, Richard Hughes, who joins following a spell overseeing Bournemouth.

The Liverpool manager has already made his expectations of Hughes clear and the first one will be keeping key players at the club — with the likes of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk entering the final years of their contracts.

“There is already a real good team, there were a few new signings last season,” Slot told reporters at a press conference (via Sky Sports).

“So the longer a team plays together if there is a good head coach normally you will see things will improve.

“It is fortunate I am going to a club where normally not many transfers go out. At Feyenoord, it was almost normal (that) eight, nine, 10 players left the club after every season so it is more difficult for a manager to get this progress.

“But here I am expecting him (Hughes) to keep most of our players and I think he wants that himself and from there we can only build.”

Liverpool aiming for ‘opportunistic’ summer transfer window

Keeping key players at Anfield is going to be important in helping Slot enjoy a smooth transition. However, there’s no doubt the Reds need strengthening if they’re to maintain a stronger title challenge alongside Manchester City and Arsenal next season.

But fans shouldn’t expect a flurry of new faces coming through the Anfield gates, with Hughes instead promising an ‘opportunistic’ summer.

“We need to improve, we need to improve on the training pitch and with the window open we will always be opportunistic if we can, if we can improve certain areas as we go we will look to do that,” he said.

Liverpool begin their 2024/25 Premier League campaign away at newly-promoted Ipswich Town.

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