Liverpool Duo Who Failed to Win the Trust of Jurgen Klopp Could Make Impact Under Arne Slot Next Season

Liverpool’s Sepp van den Berg and Fabio Carvalho may have a chance to make their mark under new head coach Arne Slot after struggling to gain the trust of Jurgen Klopp.

Both players spent Klopp’s final season at Anfield on loan, as they failed to convince him of their value to the first team. In pre-season, however, both Van den Berg and Carvalho have shown their potential, benefiting from the absence of senior players who returned late from international duties.

Slot has suggested that significant new signings may not be forthcoming this summer, potentially creating opportunities for young players to step up.

Despite Liverpool’s ongoing links with a new defender, Van den Berg’s recent performances have positioned him as a viable backup option behind Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, and Joe Gomez.

The Dutch defender can draw inspiration from Jarell Quansah’s breakthrough last season to make his own impact at Anfield.

Van den Berg, who can play as a centre-back, right-back, or wing-back, spent last season on loan at Mainz and had expressed frustration over limited opportunities under Klopp. At 22, he could persuade Slot to forgo signing another defender, thus saving on transfer funds.

Similarly, Carvalho might benefit if Slot decides against acquiring a new attacking midfielder. Expectations were high when the Portugal U21 international joined Liverpool from Fulham in 2022, but he was loaned to RB Leipzig and Hull City during the previous season.

Slot is expected to focus on integrating younger players into the squad. With many key members of Klopp’s Premier League and Champions League-winning team approaching their mid-30s, there is a need for younger talent to emerge and take on important roles.

These emerging talents might come from Liverpool’s academy, especially as Slot has indicated a reluctance to make extensive new signings this summer. He said:

“The bar is really high for new signings because we have so many good players so it is not so easy to first find a player to meet those standards and then is he available?

“Then we have to find an agreement with them, so it is not always easy to find a player who can help us but Richard is working hard on it and let’s see what comes from this.”

Van den Berg and Carvalho would certainly benefit from that policy if they remain at Anfield this season. Both players have the potential to prove Klopp wrong for not including them more in recent years.

In other Liverpool news, Three Liverpool Questions Arne Slot Must Answer as the Reds Set to Return to Premier League Action