Having arrived in the summer of 2024 and then led Liverpool to Premier League glory in his debut season, not many would have predicted Arne Slot would be sacked after his second campaign at Anfield. However, it was clear to see standards had slipped in his final months.

The Reds won their league title with 84 points in 2024/25, but picked up 24 fewer this time around, dropping to fifth in the table – no team in the division had a bigger deficit. That poor form alone was probably enough to see the Dutchman sacked, but it wouldn’t have helped that he appeared to be losing the dressing room.

This was no clearer than when Mohamed Salah openly criticised the team’s displays under Slot, calling for a ‘heavy metal’ style of football as opposed to what the 47-year-old was delivering at Anfield. The post was liked by a considerable number of Liverpool stars, and a new report has revealed why some of the squad may have been glad to see their former coach depart.

According to SPORT BILD, via Anfield Watch, Slots ‘arrogant’ attitude towards some of his players left many feeling alienated. The eye-opening report claims that he didn’t handle some of the summer signings with the most grace when things weren’t panning out as planned.

“One problem was his handling of his star players,” the report explained. “While he was praised at the start of the season for his sensitive approach following the tragic death of star striker Diogo Jota, he crossed the line elsewhere.”

It then claims that “objective criticism became mixed with arrogance and personal barbs.” before noting:

It’s no wonder that this supposedly ‘didn’t go down well’ with many of the players. After all, Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong both arrived from German club Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, while Hugo Ekitike joined from Eintracht Frankfurt.

Not only that, but the likes of Ibrahima Konate, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, and Wataru Endo also arrived in England directly from German clubs, while record signing Alexander Isak also played in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund.

What’s Next For Slot as Iraola Joins Liverpool

Despite apparent issues in the dressing room, Liverpool had planned to stick with Slot before having a sudden change of heart at the end of the season. Reports suggest the Duthcman was quite surprised by the call and had expected to remain in charge.

Despite a poor season, many clubs will have an eye on the 47-year-old who is now a free agent. AC Milan were immediately linked with him after the news broke, while there have been some suggestions that Slot would be open to taking the Dutch national team job, should it become vacant after the 2026 World Cup.

Dutch football expert Marcel van der Kraan has claimed: “If Ronald Koeman steps down after the World Cup…there is a vacancy at the Dutch national team. “I think Arne Slot is very, very much up for that; he’s probably the ideal candidate.

As for Liverpool, they’ve wasted no time in moving on, quickly appointing former Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola as their new head coach.

Tottenham are preparing for a busy summer transfer window, one that promises to be exciting and transformative after a disappointing campaign.

Roberto De Zerbi’s arrival helped Spurs avoid relegation on the final day of the Premier League season, after falling to new lows in the division.

While survival was a monumental moment for the manager, he emphasised that a campaign like that last one simply cannot happen again for Tottenham, with the solution being some transfer activity.

Signings are a priority, with Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson set to join the club on free transfers. Then there’s the bid made for Jan Paul van Hecke, which could see the Brighton defender move to North London.

Arrivals are key, but so too are exits, with a growing list of names set to leave Tottenham in the coming weeks.

Juventus Want Guglielmo Vicario

The latest reports from Gazzetta dello Sport claim that Juventus have joined the race to sign Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario in the summer transfer window.

The Serie A side were linked with the Italian shot-stopper previously, but with Inter Milan seemingly taking the lead, attention turned to Liverpool ace Alisson Becker.

That move has seemingly fallen through, leading to revived interest in Vicario, who could leave three years after moving to Tottenham from Empoli.

The 29-year-old was drafted in as the long-term replacement for Hugo Lloris, and started admirably with some top performances, not only in making saves but by playing out well, which was a requirement for then-manager Ange Postecoglou.

As time has gone on, however, Vicario has struggled alongside his teammates, conceding 50 goals in the Premier League this season and keeping just seven clean sheets.

There have been question marks over his future as a result, which have only been emphasised with the performances of Antonin Kinsky since he was put into the side.

De Zerbi has described Vicario as a “top player”, however, and insisted that he was the number-one, despite selecting Kinsky ahead of him at the end of the campaign following his injury troubles.

It remains to be seen whether the manager will stand by that and insist that the goalkeeper stays, or whether Tottenham complete a deal and look to rebuild their goalkeeping ranks again.

Tottenham Must Rebuild Leadership Ranks

If Tottenham do decide to sell Vicario, then they will be losing a player who has been part of the squad’s leadership circle for the past few seasons.

He isn’t set to be the only one, as Cristian Romero’s potential exit is compounding the impact of a team losing those key voices in the dressing room.

It means that the recruitment team needs to not only look at the profile of players they are bringing in, but what they will offer in the squad dynamics.

Robertson’s impending arrival appears to be just as much about his experience and leadership as it is his quality and depth at left-back.

With so many young players in key areas of the squad, it’s clear that there needs to be some guiding hands within the team who can help progress them into leaders of the future.

It remains to be seen whether Tottenham will look for more leadership candidates to bring in during the summer window, but it’s clearly an area that needs addressing as much as the need for on-ball quality.

Manchester United are looking at options to bolster their forward ranks this summer, and have shortlisted a Premier League star as a potential transfer target, if recent reports are to be believed.

The Red Devils are in the market for several key players, with the midfield being the one area that the recruitment team wants to improve quickly.

Ederson is expected to join from Atalanta this summer, with at least one more midfielder expected to make a move to Old Trafford to play under Michael Carrick.

Beyond that, a left-back is also expected to make a switch, as Man United look to avoid being hit with injuries during a 2026/27 campaign that will feature a return to the Champions League.

While those areas will seemingly take up most of the budget, it seems as though another forward could also be on the club’s radar.

Man United Want Iliman Ndiaye transfer

With the transfer market expected to be filled with deals left, right, and centre, Man United are getting their moves in order, with hopes of landing everyone they want to help strengthen the team.

With that in mind, The Mirror reports that the club have shortlisted Iliman Ndiaye as a player who could help bolster the left-wing for the team this summer.

The Old Trafford outfit are yet to formalise their interest with an approach, with their attention lying elsewhere, but it’s a move that may well activate later in the window.

Earlier this week, The Athletic reported that Everton have been keen to discuss the terms of a new contract with the 26-year-old, but there are some differences on both sides.

Particularly surrounding a possible exit clause for the Senegal international, which could be activated this summer if it was to be included with a new extension.

While there are three years left on Ndiaye’s contract at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, the rejection of multiple offers means the Toffees are braced for a fight to keep their star forward.

The report adds that a possible valuation benchmark is based on Anthony Gordon’s transfer to Barcelona, which was €80 million (£69.2 million).

It remains to be seen whether that valuation could put Man United off a deal, with their priorities being elsewhere in the squad, but the rejection of a deal from Ndiaye certainly makes for an interesting saga.

Should Man Utd Sign Ndiaye?

As Manchester United chiefs ponder their next moves in the summer transfer window, there are questions over whether Ndiaye would represent good business or not for the club.

At 26 years old, there are still the peak years of his career ahead of him, along with clear evidence that the star can perform at the top level in the Premier League.

In his time at Everton, Ndiaye has been described as “one of the best dribblers”, having shown his quality when in tight spaces in the final third of the pitch.

A lot of the United squad excel in large spaces, hence the playing style reverting to a more vertical way of progressing the ball that may not work against low blocks.

Ndiaye would be a quality option for those areas, but at £69.2 million, he could prove to an expensive acquisition when there should be priorities placed elsewhere.

Another midfielder after Ederson must be on the cards, while a left-back will also be a key area to look at, making it an expensive summer already.

That’s not to say Ndiaye shouldn’t come in, but much like Benjamin Sesko last summer, he should be the flourish at the end of an already successful window, and not the main deal.