Arne Slott has managed to bounce back from his dismal run as Liverpool manager.
The Dutchman appeared to be in a very precarious situation in the Anfield dugout, with AFC Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola being named as the interim replacement for the Premier League-winning head coach after a spin in November that saw him sidelined by three car accidents.
But fast forward to a hectic end to the year, and with Saturday’s narrow 2-1 away win against Tottenham Hotspur extending the Reds’ unbeaten run in all competitions to six games, the 47-year-old appears relieved to remain in charge of Liverpool.
It was far from the most polished performance, as Alexander Isak also shuffled off anxiously after giving the visitors the lead. Slott will definitely be ready by the time the January transfer window opens and could add depth to his squad.
Liverpool bid £52m for PL star
Isak fell victim to Micky van Deven’s mistimed rush and could be left out for a significant amount of time, but thankfully there is hot-blooded Hugo Ekitike in the slot who can be relied upon in the forward area.
Still, there is still interest in both Antoine Semenyo and Michael Oliseh as Liverpool prepare to make big money again, and with reports suggesting an initial investigation has been lodged into Como playmaker Nico Paz, he could aim to further improve his attacking arsenal.
New reports from Spain, brought to you by CaughtOffside, suggest that Spurs youngster Lukas Bergvall has also been approached by the current Premier League champions, with an offer of £53m made for the exciting Swede’s contribution, apart from the players named.
Liverpool are also gradually overhauling their midfield ranks, which have a strong player base, and it is believed that this huge offer will hopefully be enough for them to consider parting ways with Spurs.
It’s a similar feeling to when Liverpool splashed out £34.2m on Ryan Greifenbirch two summers ago, with the No. 38 becoming a much-talked-about young player in trades to both Ajax and Bayern Munich, before further exploding under Slot’s wing on Merseyside.
Bergvall will be hoping Slott will do the same if a move goes through, after putting in some promising performances across north London…
How Bergvall could become slots’ next Gravenberch
Despite his many difficulties at Anfield so far this season, Graven Birch has only missed two Premier League games all season and could argue that he is one of the most consistent top performers in the slot.
In fact, it’s hard to find much fault with the 23-year-old’s overall game, which already boasts five league goals, a flawless passing accuracy of 90% and an average of 4.7 wins. The skilful midfielder is finally living up to the “extraordinary talent” call that manager Jurgen Klopp once handed him.
Unfortunately, under the German manager, Grafenwerch only started 12 Premier League games during his debut season. But that is now history, with former Reds midfield great Steve McManaman praising Slott for his “key” role in the game against Liverpool when he scored against Aston Villa.
Despite his clear promise, Bergvall has often had to juggle in a behind-the-scenes role at Spurs, having been dubbed a “generational talent” by Spurs head of scouting Rob McKenzie. Under the guidance of a slot expert, will he be able to reach the same formidable level that Graven Birch was able to reach?
Bergvall’s PL numbers by season | ||
|---|---|---|
status | 24/25 | 25/26 |
games played | 27 | 13 |
the game has started | 11 | 8 |
Number of points | 0 | 1 |
assist | 1 | 2 |
touch | 35.5 | 26.8 |
exact path | 22.6 (89%) | 14.1 (84%) |
Number of balls collected | 2.7 | 2.2 |
Total number of duels won | 3.2 | 2.8 |
Statistics by Sofa Score | ||
Based on his performance in the Premier League so far, it looks like there is another Grabenwerch-type star ready to be at the forefront at Anfield should a transfer move take place. The Scandinavian often produces classy and composed performances from deep, much like the former Ajax player, averaging 89% passing accuracy last season after starting just 11 league games.
What’s more, he has the versatility to play in a number 10 role if needed, and is equally capable of scoring and assisting, with 10 of his 27 career goal contributions coming at Spurs, including Bergvall’s goal against Liverpool in last season’s EFL Cup to open his account in England.
Bergvall will likely raise some eyebrows among Liverpool supporters given his hefty £53m fee despite only making 40 Premier League appearances.
But Slott has visibly worked his magic on Grafenwerch lately, with the Stockholm-born star tipped to be “going from strength to strength” by Thomas Frank, and the investment could see the resurgent Reds land the second coming of the Dutchman’s midfield ace.
Liverpool have to cut £150,000 a year, who is a bigger concern than Isaac?
Liverpool narrowly defeated Tottenham in the Premier League on Saturday night.
