Arne Slot to INCLUDE returning academy star in Liverpool squad

Arne Slot is to include one returning academy start in his Liverpool squad. He wants to have a proper look at him.

Arne Slot is coming up to a very interesting time in his career as Liverpool head coach. He's going to get a pre-season with a squad he knows and will run the rule over players with a completely different tone.

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Last summer it was about seeing what he's got and figuring out how to make it work. Liverpool weren't going to make great changes, they wanted Slot to fit to the team.

He did that expertly, of course. The highlight being the realisation that Ryan Gravenberch was actually a world-class holding player.

Things are different thing time around. Slot and Liverpool are a lot more ruthless, with a green light to move on those who don't fit.

The other side of it is that Slot knows what will his squad needs. It's an opportunity for new faces to force their way into the squad that wasn't necessarily there a year ago.

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Owen Beck gets his chance

The Daily Mail reports that Owen Beck will get an opportunity in Liverpool's pre-season squad. It's a very, very smart move.

Liverpool are in line to lose Andy Robertson this summer with Atlético Madrid hoping to sign him. Now, Milos Kerkez replaces him but the plan was for Kostas Tsimikas to depart.

It may well be that both first-team left-backs leave, with Kerkez and Beck replacing them. There's a reason Liverpool will hope this is the case, too.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Caoimhin Kelleher have both left Liverpool this summer. Jarell Quansah likely will soon, with Bayer Leverkusen agreeing a deal.

All three are homegrown players and their exits put Liverpool in a difficult position. Their current squad actually breaks Premier League rules if they were to include everyone.

Beck would alleviate that. He's a homegrown player and if he can replace Tsimikas's spot in the squad, the Reds improve on their quota.

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So we don't just expect Beck to get a chance this summer - we imagine he'll get it with the full backing of Liverpool.