Many thought the transition from living under Jurgen Klopp in Liverpool to a new era under Arne’s slot would be a difficult obstacle to navigate. But that wasn’t the case given the Reds stormed the Premier League in their first Dutch season at the helm at Anfield.
In the end, it was a landslide victory for Merseysiders, who scored 10 points with 84 points and scored 10 points from second-place Arsenal. They also scored more goals than any other side and found the back of the net 86 times during the season.
What was the first memorable campaign for slots was a real standout player for the Reds.
Liverpool standout player on 24/25
Of course, Mohamed Sarah was key to Liverpool’s title winning last season. The 33-year-old won the Golden Boots at some distance, earning another 18 in 38 top flight games, supporting another 18.
In terms of offensive power, the currently developed Luis Diaz scored 13 times, supporting seven in the top flight, while Cody Gapppo bagged 10 goals and set another five.
Behind Sarah, they were Liverpool’s most dangerous attackers.
Naturally, the Reds were strong at back last season, with Alison and Virgil van Dyke being two key components to the successful slot title win. However, Ibrahima Conate was “the best defender in the Premier League,” according to former Chelsea and Arsenal centre back William Glass.
The 25-year-old, who signed Liverpool from RB Leipzig in 2021, played 31 games on top flights and formed a nearly breaching partnership with Vandick. Konate chipped in with one goal and two assists.
It wasn’t just about Sarah, Gakupo and Conate, who were Liverpool’s star men last season. One guy in the middle really stood out and held a consistently amazing performance for the week.
How Gravenberch’s value skyrocketed under the slot
Despite the 2025 transfer window, which Liverpool spent hundreds of millions of pounds, many of the teams that won last season’s title were built by Klopp. Slot certainly landed in the formula, where he was able to secure the league with the team, not him.
One of these major players was one of his final tenure. It was Ryan Gravenberch, a graduate of the Ajax Academy. The 23-year-old formed a hard-working midfield with Alexis Mac Alistair and Dominique Sobosilai, sitting in front of the back four as the only number six.
His importance to the slot side is obviously going to be seen when looking at the number of games he played in his last semester. Gravenberch appeared in 49 matches throughout the competition, 37 of which appeared in the Premier League.
Called the “special” midfielder by soccer scout Antonio Mango, the former Ajax star excels at carrying the ball through the line. It’s his self-proclaimed skill, and Dutchman explains, “When I can break through the lines and open the play, I really enjoy it.”
The underlying numbers he has for the final semester show just how well balanced the 23-year-old is as No. 6.
For example, he averaged 14.4 forward passes and averaged 5.5 duels per 90 minutes, showing two different aspects of his midfielder.
Gravenberch -24/25 PL Statistics | ||
|---|---|---|
statistics | Around 90 | Seasonal total |
Forward pass | 14.4 | 505 |
Take-on is complete | 1.1 | 37 |
The duel won | 5.3 | 184 |
Intercept | 1.8 | 60 |
Ball recovery | 5.5 | 193 |
Statistics from Squawka | ||
With all this in mind, it may not be surprising to learn that Gravenberch’s value has skyrocketed since the slot led the title to Liverpool. When Klopp left Anfield at the end of 2024, he was worth just £30 million, starting just 21 games in German the previous year.
Now his value has risen 116% under his fellow countrymen. The former Bayer Munich midfielder was valued at £605 million more than a year ago, more than twice his worth. That’s a real testimony of how well he worked.
Slot won the league with a Klopp team for the first time I asked. His significant increase in value certainly shows that.
