Sport
The Jurgen Klopp era is in the past for Liverpool, but the future is looking increasingly bright for the Anfield club under Arne Slot. The Dutchman has started his tenure as the Reds’ new manager with back-to-back wins in the Premier League with Sunday’s 2-0 home victory over Brentford providing more evidence on how the team will change under new stewardship.
In many ways, Liverpool won’t change much. There is significant overlap between the way Slot wants his team to play and the approach favoured Klopp over nine years at the club. However, with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk out of contract next year, change could be coming down the pipeline.
Salah will be extremely difficult to replace should he depart Anfield at the end of the season, but Liverpool already have van Dijk’s long-term successor at the club. Indeed, Ibrahima Konate has started the new season well and is producing the sort of performances Liverpool expected from him when they signed him from RB Leipzig two years ago.
Initially, Slot appeared to favour Jarell Quansah as van Dijk’s partner in central defence. It was the 21-year-old who started Liverpool’s opening Premier League fixture against Ipswich Town. However, Quansah was withdrawn at half time after a difficult 45 minutes. Slot explained that the young defender had lost too many duels.
Konate grasped the opportunity he was given at Portland Road and kept his place in the lineup for Sunday’s match against Brentford and once again impressed. Alongside van Dijk, Liverpool had a strong foundation which allowed them to cruise through the majority of the game. Konate is thriving under Slot.
“We are not very 100 per cent because it’s a new manager,” said Konate when asked about the start Liverpool have made since the arrival of Slot in the summer with the Reds more considered in possession than they were under Klopp “We start new things, but I think this will come very quick and I’m so excited to be 100% with what the manager wants.”
All over the pitch, Slot is finding out more about his players. Alexis Mac Allister has reached a new level in the first two games of the season having embraced his role as a midfield pace-setter. Salah has scored two in two matches while Luis Diaz looks to have been energised by the chance of manager.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is increasingly influential at right back where he has the freedom to push into central midfield in possession phases, but the emergence of Konate as a dominant defensive presence could be the most consequential individual improvement over the early phase of this season.
Physically, Konate is an imposing figure in central defence. However, he also has the technical ability to play for a Slot team. Indeed, the Frenchman is comfortable playing out from the back and is still improving. This is where playing alongside van Dijk is likely helping Konate fulfil his potential. He is learning from the legendary Dutchman.
Van Dijk has remained coy on his future at Liverpool beyond the end of the 2024/25 campaign. When asked about his contract status after beating Brentford, the 33-year-old instead chose to focus on having a successful season. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that van Dijk could depart Anfield next summer.
In the event of this happening, though, Liverpool have Konate to pick up from van Dijk. It might be unrealistic to expect the Frenchman to reach the level of arguably the greatest centre back of the Premier League era, but Konate has the quality to be the defender Slot builds around for years to come.
