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5 bold predictions for Liverpool under Arne Slot including first trophy and Mohamed Salah contract

matt addison
·3-min read
Harvey Elliott, Arne Slot and Mohamed Salah.
-Credit: (Image: Getty Images)


Liverpool is about to begin the Arne Slot era away at Portman Road.

Ipswich Town, having been outside of the Premier League for 22 years, will be the Reds' first opponent of 2024/25. But ahead of what should be an intriguing campaign, what should we be looking out for? Liverpool will have a slightly different style of play under Slot compared to Jurgen Klopp and it remains to be seen what happens in the transfer market.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of things to watch out for. Here are five bold Liverpool.com predictions ahead of the new season kicking off later this weekend...

Harvey Elliott as most improved player

Harvey Elliott will get 10-plus goals and 10-plus assists in all competitions in 2024/25, kicking on again and excelling under Slot. He was great last term and even if he has to play mainly off the bench again, he's still a huge weapon for the Reds. Now able to play in more of a number 10 role, it suits him down to the ground.

Mohamed Salah chased down

Mohamed Salah will be Liverpool's top scorer again but Diogo Jota will run him close. The Portugal forward should be the main pick at number nine for as long as he is fit — and when he plays, he will score goals. The only question with the 27-year-old Portugal man is whether he can keep himself off the treatment table.

Arne Slot to win first trophy

Slot will guide the Reds safely back into the top four but Manchester City and Arsenal will be too strong for a title push. A strong run in the Champions League and ideally a trophy in one of the domestic competitions would be a great start. Our prediction is that third place is locked down as a minimum and a piece of silverware is brought home from another trip to Wembley.

Pep Guardiola to do a Jurgen Klopp

Last year, Klopp dropped the bombshell that he would be leaving. While some suggested that Liverpool couldn't cope with the pressure after that point and ended up folding as a result, that was wide of the mark. Injuries simply caught up with the Reds.

This season, Pep Guardiola is into his final year at Manchester City unless he pens a new deal. That is definitely possible but there is a feeling that he could be on his way out. There is uncertainty over the punishment the Etihad side might get if found guilty of those 115 Premier League charges too, though the outcome of that case is far harder to predict.

Three major contracts signed

There is one big question lingering over Liverpool at the moment: what happens with Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold? All three, like Guardiola, will be leaving their club next summer as things stand.

Liverpool needs to get each of them tied down, however. Even if it is simply to retain some transfer value, the Reds need to extend their contracts to avoid losing anyone on a free.

Salah and Van Dijk remain among the best in the world in their position even though they are now comfortably over the age of 30. Alexander-Arnold, meanwhile, is perhaps still to enter his prime.

Our prediction? All three sign new deals, but only once sporting director Richard Hughes can switch his attention away from the transfer market (ie post August 30). Wishful thinking maybe, but keeping all three players makes perfect sense.