Liverpool’s Premier League Champions Evolve Under Arne Slot
Fresh from guiding Liverpool to their 20th league title, Arne Slot spoke to Men In Blazers about the journey, the reinforcements brought in this summer, and the challenge of defending the crown. Slot, who masterminded a campaign so dominant that celebrations began a month before the final whistle of the season, was candid about the club’s transformation and his expectations for new stars Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike.
Landmark victory sparked belief
Reflecting on the pivotal moment in the title race, Slot pointed to a defining result. “The first time I thought now we are going, getting really, really close was when we beat City in their stadium,” he said. The win created a gap over Arsenal and proved Liverpool could overcome the league’s most consistent powerhouse.
It was a season no pundit saw coming. “Probably everybody thought they’re going to be stronger and stronger and I don’t think many thought we could go all the way without new signings,” Slot admitted. Yet the manager emphasised the value of stability, adding, “If you keep a team together, that can sometimes have a very good influence on the result.”
Big summer, balanced books
Liverpool have spent heavily this summer, securing players like Wirtz, Frimpong, Kerkez and Ekitike. Yet Slot was quick to point out the context. “People are forgetting how many money we’ve brought in already… We’ve lost Caoimhín Kelleher, Jarell Quansah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Díaz, probably Darwin Núñez, and the biggest tragedy of all was of course that Diogo passed away.”
With key departures, the investment was essential. “If we want to improve the team or bring players in that are good enough to play for us, spending this amount is normal… this club did it with Alisson in the past, with Virgil van Dijk in the past,” Slot said.
Wirtz and Ekitike bring new attacking dimension
Asked why he pursued Wirtz, a £116 million club-record signing, Slot cited the challenge of breaking down deep defences. “We won many of our games only by one goal margin and we think by adding the creativity of Florian, by adding the pace of Jeremie, Hugo and Milos, that can give us weapons in games like that as well.”
Low blocks were a recurring obstacle. “If you don’t evolve, if you keep doing the same, people do find the answers to your playing style,” Slot warned. Ekitike’s pace and directness in transition offer another layer to Liverpool’s attack, complementing Wirtz’s vision and technical precision.
Demanding excellence in every phase
Slot’s footballing philosophy is clear. “If you want to win the league now, you have to be good in everything. You have to be good in transitions, in attack, in set plays, defensively, really strong in a high press, in a low block,” he said. This all-round mastery is what Liverpool are striving for in the 2025 campaign.
The manager also praised role models like Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk for their professionalism. “If these two wouldn’t have what they have, trying to get the best out of themselves every single day, then probably their careers would have gone down already at this age now.”
Legacy and perspective
Slot’s face has now been added to the iconic banner at Anfield featuring the club’s most successful managers. While he had not seen it yet, he acknowledged, “If it’s true… to be in the same group as these unbelievably successful managers this club has had is for sure going to be special to see.”
Liverpool’s evolution under Slot is far from complete. With Wirtz adding creativity, Ekitike injecting pace, and a squad built for versatility, the champions are preparing for another relentless title pursuit. As Slot reminded, quoting Vince Lombardi via the hosts, the goal is to “chase perfection… knowing all the while we can never attain it, but along the way we shall catch excellence.”
