Four things seen on Arne Slot pre-season day one including 16 players and Liverpool transfer hint

The first group of Liverpool players returned for pre-season training today with Arne Slot having taken over from Jurgen Klopp. The new head coach also undertook a press conference alongside sporting director Richard Hughes.

There was plenty to keep an eye on throughout the day and we've rounded it all up so you don't miss anything! Across the course of the next few weeks, there will be plenty more training drills to keep an eye on as more senior players are added to the group... and potentially some new signings as well.

On day one under Slot for some Liverpool stars, here's what happened and what you might have missed. The mood was certainly relaxed with 43 days to go until the new Premier League campaign kicks off.

READ MORE: Three things we learned and one thing we didn't in Arne Slot's first Liverpool press conference
READ MORE: What will 'definitely' happen in Liverpool pre-season including transfers and Arne Slot hint

Positive mood at start of new era

There was a relaxed vibe to the press conference and then a relaxed vibe around the training center in Kirkby. There were smiles as the players went through some running drills and plenty were pictured having a laugh in the gym as well.

While most senior players are still away at the European Championship, the Copa America, or on holiday, there are already good numbers who have returned. And that's before any transfer moves are made!

Full list of players spotted

Liverpool said at the start of the day that Stefan Bajcetic, Conor Bradley, Jarell Quansah and Sepp van den Berg would be involved in some physical tests in the morning, while Owen Beck, Curtis Jones, Caoimhin Kelleher and Kostas Tsimikas were to do the same in the afternoon. But eight more players, making 16 in total, were also spotted throughout the day on social media posts put out by the club.

Harvey Elliott, Fabio Carvalho, Kaide Gordon, James McConnell, Ben Doak, Tyler Morton, Nat Phillips and Harvey Davies were all at the training ground too. Mohamed Salah was still doing his own thing in the gym and Wataru Endo wasn't there yet either, but more players could make their returns to Kirkby in the next few days. The group will gradually swell in the coming weeks.

New Liverpool assistants watch on

Slot's assistant coach, Sipke Hulshoff, and his lead physical performance coach, Ruben Peeters, were present during his introductory press conference. They were both spotted out on the pitches with some of the players later on too.

During his chat with the media, Slot confirmed that he would soon have a couple more staff joining him. Those appointments are not finalized yet but appear to be likely.

Key messages from Arne Slot and Richard Hughes

There was plenty to get stuck into when it came to the press conference that took place this morning. Slot and Hughes both spoke well and each got across their message in a cool, calm and collected manner.

The most interesting aspect of the press conference from Slot was his confirmation about the formation that he plays. "I was hoping if people looked at my Feyenoord team, it wasn't 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3," Slot said, dispelling a myth that has formed in recent weeks. "It's a lot of freedom to take different positions, a lot of freedom when we have the ball, sometimes 4-1-4-1.

"I wouldn't put myself in a position where I say I prefer a formation. If you asked me, I'd say we played 4-3-3 at Feyenoord. When we don't have the ball, we want to be really aggressive."

As for Hughes, he offered a hint as to what to expect in the transfer market. "You may see a situation in August, like in previous seasons, is a little bit of hurry to get things done and to make sure that everyone's squads are in order," he said. "I don't think this will be any different, but who knows what will transpire economically? It's hard to say and speak for other clubs.

"But that was probably the case in June and why situations occurred as they did. I'd see a quiet July and then perhaps a crescendo in August would probably await us all."