He’s never close to where he’s thought he is ” Arne Slot Advised to Sell ‘Average’ Liverpool Player Despite Title Push

Arne Slot, the highly regarded coach of Feyenoord, was sitting in his office one crisp winter afternoon, reviewing his team’s performances ahead of a crucial match. His mind wandered briefly to the world beyond the Netherlands, to the looming figures of Europe’s top leagues. One name came to the forefront: Liverpool.

The Reds had been pushing for a title in the Premier League this season, but there was something unsettling in their ranks, something Slot couldn’t quite put his finger on. As a manager who had carved out his own reputation for understanding the intricacies of a squad, he knew that sometimes a player’s potential had to be weighed against their actual contribution. And, one particular player came to mind: Thiago Alcântara.

Slot had seen Thiago in action multiple times during European encounters, always the artist with the ball, an embodiment of finesse. But in the past few months, as Liverpool’s title challenge intensified, the cracks began to show. Thiago was undoubtedly gifted with extraordinary vision and control, but he was often absent when the game became frantic, when his team needed him most. Despite his brilliance in moments of tranquility, he was too often caught up in the ebb and flow of the more physical, pressing style that had become Liverpool’s trademark under Jürgen Klopp.

“He’s never close to where he’s thought he is,” Slot muttered under his breath after analyzing another match. Thiago’s passing might be world-class, but he was a player who appeared out of step with the direction of modern football—more specifically, the direction of a team like Liverpool, which was evolving. Thiago had always been a maestro, but in Klopp’s high-intensity, high-pressing system, that style was starting to feel outdated. It was like trying to fit a classic Ferrari into a race that demanded cutting-edge Formula 1 speed.

Arne Slot had been following Liverpool’s struggles closely. He knew that they were in a tight race with Manchester City and Arsenal, and every point, every performance, would count. Slot’s thoughts shifted to his own squad. He had been involved in the transfer market recently, seeking to build a team that could compete with the best in Europe. And one thing he kept hearing from Liverpool fans and pundits alike was the criticism of Thiago’s consistency. The elegant Spaniard had been central to many victories in the past, but with the aggressive tempo of the Premier League catching up to him, it seemed inevitable that his time at Anfield was winding down.

“Perhaps it’s time for Klopp to think about letting him go,” Slot mused. “Not because Thiago doesn’t have talent—he does. But sometimes, players don’t fit the system anymore, and in those moments, the club must move on.”

Slot had witnessed this first-hand with players in his own team. You could see a player’s limitations only by understanding how they fit into the bigger picture. As a tactician, Slot wasn’t blind to Thiago’s world-class capabilities. However, he understood that with Liverpool’s pressing game demanding more speed and energy from midfielders, a player like Thiago, despite his technical genius, may not be the answer to a title push.

The next day, Slot’s words made waves across football media. Headlines blared with the notion that Arne Slot, despite his admiration for Thiago’s skills, had advised Liverpool to sell the “average” player in the current system. The term “average” stung, but Slot knew what he meant: Thiago’s contributions, while valuable, no longer held the level of consistency Liverpool needed at this pivotal point in the season.

Slot wasn’t attacking the player; rather, he was acknowledging a simple truth: football evolves, and sometimes, a great player’s time in a system comes to an end. In a way, he was warning Liverpool—there was more to be gained from selling Thiago, investing in a new kind of midfielder who could better complement Klopp’s evolving vision, and making room for a fresh start.

The media and fans went wild with the debate. Was Thiago still the player Liverpool needed? Or was it time for Klopp to part ways with the elegant Spaniard to make way for the next generation? The title race would certainly tell the tale.