Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has called on his players to show they can become “serial winners” by challenging for the Premier League trophy again next season.
Slot’s side clinched the title with four games to spare this term and are currently 12 points clear of second-placed Arsenal. However, the Liverpool boss believes he will only know if his players have what it takes to compete for the trophy again when they return for preseason training in July.
“I think we have a lot to compete next season again but what I don’t know yet, and that’s going to be the interesting one, is if we have this elite mentality, this serial winner mentality of showing up season after season,” Slot said. “I think I will see that on July 8 when we’re all back together.
“Many teams have won the Premier League once but not many have won it multiple seasons in a row and that’s for a reason. First of all, because it’s difficult because not every player has that elite mentality.”
Slot also revealed a conversation he had with Alexander-Arnold in preseason about his application in training and defensive consistency.
“I wasn’t completely happy with every single minute how he was on the training ground,” Slot said. “So in my opinion, he in certain moments could do a bit more, to say it mildly. And that’s what we talked about. I said to him: ‘you are a much better defender than everybody tells you but unfortunately you don’t show it all the time.'”
Liverpool will lift the Premier League trophy following Sunday’s clash with Crystal Palace at Anfield. It will be the first time in 35 years the Reds have been able to celebrate a title win in front of fans, with their last triumph having come during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Asked whether fan reaction to Trent Alexander-Arnold — who was booed by supporters earlier this month after announcing his decision to leave the club — could dampen the celebrations, Slot said: “I think this should be a day that everybody is going to enjoy. It’s been 35 years that Liverpool have been waiting for this moment. I think we set the example against Tottenham.
“I am hoping that we can add a moment like this to it and I think everybody that’s in the stadium deserves to be there. The fans, the staff but also the players and one of my players is Trent, so he definitely deserves to be there as well because he’s been part of incredible successful season and incredibly successful years at this club.”
Slot also addressed speculation over the future of forward Luis DÃaz after Barcelona sporting director Deco spoke of his admiration for the player on Thursday. A source has told ESPN that Barcelona view Luis DÃaz as the ideal candidate to strengthen their attack next season
“Every club has its own way of doing things,” Slot said. “I think you are used to the fact that I don’t talk about players from other clubs that we haven’t signed. So yeah, I understand that he’s a big admirer of DÃaz because I’m a big admirer of him as well. He’s a great player having a great season. I admire Lamine Yamal and Raphinha as well!”
Information from ESPN’s Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens contributed to this report
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