Arne Slot says Liverpool title celebrations will help in summer transfer talks

Arne Slot and Liverpool are set for a busy summer transfer window and the Reds manager has pointed to a key area where they could have the upper hand over Premier League rivals

Liverpool manager Arne Slot believes players who watched the Reds celebrate their title win will have a "big attraction" when it comes to deciding whether to move to Anfield. Slot is under no illusions that new faces are required, despite his team clinching the title with four games to spare.

Slot won the league in his first season in charge, with a 5-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur last weekend making it official, However, they would need to win three of their final four games to match the points tally attained by Manchester City last year and are already sure to fall well short of the 99 points picked up by Jurgen Klopp's title-winning Liverpool side in 2019-20.

Captain Virgil van Dijk and top scorer Mohamed Salah have both signed contract extensions, while goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili will join from Valencia after a deal was agreed last summer. Van Dijk anticipates a busy summer, though, and Slot hopes the joy of Sunday's title celebrations will convince new players that it's something they want to be part of as well.

"There are so many things that influence next season," Slot told reporters ahead of Sunday's trip to Chelsea. "Is it an advantage some teams don't do Club World Cup? The main advantage of winning the Premier League is new players

"I always told them the fans are special and that was not necessary to tell but after Sunday I don't think I have to tell anyone! That was un-believe-able! They didn't come on the pitch, a lot of clubs' fans do that and ours stayed on the stands... Winning the league, having these fans, this is a big attraction to players we want to bring in and it's definitely helpful."

Liverpool are expected to lose Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid this summer, so a new right-back could be required. They are also likely to strengthen all across the back-line, with Bournemouth pair Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez strongly linked.

"We will focus on trying to improve the team, and add new players if we can, and if some player leaves because someone comes with what the club considers to be a good offer, we have to be ready for those situations, but not with fear," Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola told Sky Sports. "It is something that all the clubs, especially the ones who are not at the highest level like the top, top teams, have to get used to."

The celebratory scenes and the support of the fans aren't just a potential boost when it comes to new recruits. They could also be factors in convincing fringe players to stick around, with Harvey Elliott a prime example.

"Hopefully I am still here to be honest," Elliott told the ECHO when discussing uncertainty over his future. "It is the best place to be, the best club to be at and especially having the fans around us at the moment, I don't think there is a better place to be playing.

"Players go through ups and downs but at the end of the day you have to come out fighting and I think it is within myself to make it happen. So hopefully I can stay here for the rest of my career."