After doing barely any business in the transfer market since his arrival, Liverpool fans are still guessing what Arne Slot truly wants from his players.
Slot has been a revelation since arriving at Anfield last summer, and has already built the Reds’ team in his image.
However, having only signed Federico Chiesa, the new Liverpool head coach is still working with a squad assembled by Jurgen Klopp.
As a result, it is a little tricky to predict what kind of players Slot will be looking to sign for Liverpool.
Nevertheless, it is possible to get a sense of the kind of players the Dutch coach does not fancy
After finding minutes severely hard to come by this season, it has become clear that one of these is Harvey Elliott. And judging by some new comments from Slot, it is possible to conclude why that is.
Arne Slot drops Harvey Elliott hint
It looks probable that a number of the Liverpool squad do not have any real future under Slot.
With the Reds expected to do plenty of business this summer, there are some who’s time at Anfield is entering its last throes
Elliott has been linked with a move away and despite the 21-year-old previously insisting that he’s going nowhere, he could certainly be among that group.
For some, Slot’s lack of trust in Elliott is baffling. He has the quality to make an impact and arguably deserves more minutes. But when asked by Sky Sports to name the three ‘key things’ he looks for in a player, the 46-year-old’s answer can be instructive.
It’s all about quality of course, that’s the first thing, what is their quality,” says Slot.
“I think what I like, what I think is very important for a player is that he can change direction fast. Work-rate and then ability, quality on the ball. If you don’t have quality on the ball then you can forget playing here at Liverpool.”
But I think there are players who have a lot of quality on the ball but if you can’t turn quickly or change direction quickly and you’re not able to run a lot, then it’s going to be really hard to play in the modern game at this level,” the Dutchman adds, crucially.
“Decision making, maybe, because they all have quality on the ball if they’re playing in the Premier League. But, do you understand when to make which decision. So, these three elements are maybe key.
Breaking down these three things, it’s clear that Elliott can boast at least two of them in spades. The attacking midfielder has great quality on the ball and is also a good decision-maker.
However, Elliott does certainly lack the ability to change direction at speed. He is not a quick player
As a result, Slot’s insistence that quality on the ball is secondary to speed of movement feels significant where the No.19 is concerned.
Given that this is not really something Elliott can change, at least not noticeably so, it does not bode well for his future at Liverpool.
Harvey will still give it everything whenever he is given the chance to shine, but there is a body of evidence that would suggest he simply is not an Arne Slot player.