Former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson believes that any player Arne Slot wants to sign this summer would jump at the chance to join the newly-crowned Premier League champion.
While vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold has opted to move on when his contract expires, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk have both penned new deals. And a big summer could await in the transfer market.
“Any player that gets a chance to sign for the champions, you are going to want to be a part of it,” Johnson tells Liverpool.com. “That is what Liverpool has at the moment — that magnetic effect in terms of everyone wants to go.
“That helps them in the market and it helps them with business. Any player that comes available, if it is Liverpool or someone else, it is going to be tough not to choose Liverpool.
“Arne Slot looks like the sort of guy that you would love to work for. I didn’t really know anything about him before, but how he has handled filling Jurgen Klopp’s shoes, which was almost impossible to do, he has done it and been successful.
“That is exactly what players want. You want to work with managers like that. He’s done an amazing job.”
When asked if Johnson would want to join Liverpool this summer, he responded: “Absolutely!”
But next season, Mikel Arteta and Arsenal will want to take the next step too, while it is thought that Manchester City is also gearing up for a spending spree in the summer window when Pep Guardiola will be looking to rejuvenate his ranks.
(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
“Arsenal have proved that they will still be there knocking on the door and Man City are not going to be this bad again,” Johnson says. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Liverpool won it again, but I don’t think it will be by this much of a margin and so early.
“The other big teams will bounce back and improve and Liverpool will have to do the same. They have to try and maintain the gap, but that is not easy.
“The biggest threat is probably Man City because by their standards, they have been very poor. Arsenal have been fantastic but the gap is still what it is, so they’re not there. If City arrive and turn up, they will be hard to peg back.”
Where should Liverpool strengthen, though? A left-back and a number nine look like obvious priorities, but Johnson says his old side should take a more open approach rather than focusing on specific areas of the team.
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“It’s a tough one because they have just won the league,” the former England international, speaking on behalf of TG Casino, said. “Right now, you would say they need no one.
“But you always have to stay ahead of your rivals and do whatever business you can. I don’t think they have a position where they desperately need someone — they just have to stay in front of the market and stay in front of their rivals and any good player coming through, they need to sign for Liverpool, not City, Arsenal or Chelsea.
“It’s hard to say where they need to improve when they have just won the league. Of course, you could add a proper striker — an out-and-out nine — or a big, powerful midfielder. But that is not screaming out that they desperately need to sign X.
“Whatever big player comes available, they need to make sure they sign them and not let their rivals get them.”
