EXCLUSIVE: JAMIE CARRAGHER DELIVERS BRUTAL "SERIOUS QUESTIONS" VERDICT ON ARNE SLOT
Jamie Carragher warns Arne Slot: missing Champions League football is "unthinkable" after Liverpool's £450m investment.
Jamie Carragher thinks Arne Slot is in real trouble if Liverpool misses out on the Champions League this season. Carragher, who used to play at the back for the Reds, doesn’t see Slot’s team as ready for Premier League football right now—even after last year’s title.
Liverpool had a rough stretch earlier this season, and that loss to Bournemouth over the weekend snapped whatever momentum they had started to build. Now they're sitting sixth, behind Chelsea and a much-improved Manchester United.
Carragher doesn’t think Slot deserves too much heat for not pushing for the title this year. But missing out on Europe’s biggest competition? That’s a line you can’t cross. Carragher, now doing punditry for Sky Sports, isn’t convinced Liverpool will even pull it off.
He broke it down on Monday Night Football: “When I look at the Premier League, three things jump out—set pieces and long throws, counter-attacking both ways, and dealing with those low defensive blocks. If you’re Liverpool, and you’re facing deep, organised teams, you just can’t cope. Slot talks about low blocks all the time—Liverpool can’t handle any of it.”
He said Liverpool just doesn’t look built for the Premier League. But in Europe? It’s different. Set pieces and long throws don’t matter as much, counter-attacking is there but not to the same degree, and teams aren’t just sitting back. That actually suits Liverpool. “They can beat Real Madrid, they can go to Inter Milan and win, or Marseille, and they’ll finish in the top eight and get to the knockouts.”
Carragher thinks the fans and the club can live with not winning the league this year. Not good enough, sure, but they accept it.
But when you see what United and Chelsea have been doing lately, and you realise Liverpool could actually end up outside the Champions League spots, Carragher says that’s when the manager’s job really comes under the microscope. That’s a totally different conversation.
“Not winning the league is on everyone, and Liverpool doesn’t win it every year anyway. But missing the Champions League after winning the league, spending £450 million, and having the biggest wage bill—which usually decides where you finish—that brings up some serious questions.”
Dave Jones asked him, “Champions League or bust for Slot?”
Carragher didn’t hesitate: “Yeah, as far as qualifying goes. Some of the criticism and disrespect Slot had from Liverpool fans is way over the top, considering he won the league last year. But if you don’t make the Champions League after spending what Liverpool does, you can’t really defend it.”
ALISSON "OPEN" TO LIVERPOOL EXIT AS JUVENTUS PREPARE MASSIVE SWAP DEAL OFFER
With Alisson Becker open to a Juventus move, Liverpool is scouring the market for a replacement ahead of a major summer rebuild.
Liverpool isn’t just sitting around; it’s actively searching for someone to take Alisson Becker’s spot since Juventus looks serious about making a bid for their veteran keeper. Even though Alisson’s got a year left on his deal after the club triggered an extension back in March, he might leave this summer.
He’s been Liverpool’s go-to guy in goal since he arrived from Roma in 2018; he’s played 332 games, cost £67 million, and for years, he was untouchable. But injuries have piled up during the 2025/26 season, and it’s starting to look like his time at Anfield could be coming to an end.
Juventus are now right in the mix. Apparently, Alisson isn’t against the idea of leaving Liverpool, and Juventus could even throw their own goalkeeper, Michele Di Gregorio, into the deal for the Brazilian.
Juve are ready to offer Alisson a contract running through the summer of 2028, with an extra year as an option. Sky Sports says Liverpool already knows what’s happening and is getting their ducks in a row before a massive transfer window.
The club’s facing a big summer. Salah and Robertson are going, and now they might need a new keeper too. Giorgi Mamardashvili has stepped up when Alisson was out, playing 18 games across all competitions, but he’s injured himself, leaving Slot with just Freddie Woodman as his only fit option.
Recently, Slot was asked if losing Alisson at the same time as Robertson and Salah would be too much. He said, “The club makes decisions it thinks are right. If this happens, there's a reason behind it, maybe another good reason why we did what we did.”
He pointed out that Liverpool doesn’t make transfers on a whim. Decisions are thought through, with the club’s interests always at heart.
Regarding keeping Alisson for his experience, Slot admitted that’s one argument, but there are others and, ultimately, the club will decide what’s best. Alisson’s contract still has a year left.
When pressed about Juventus, Slot replied, “Ali’s main focus is clear; he wants to get back in goal for Liverpool as soon as possible and then play for Brazil. That’s his short- and mid-term future.”
LIVERPOOL WARNED TO OFFER CURTIS JONES NEW CONTRACT BEFORE 14-MONTH DEADLINE
Analysis: Curtis Jones’ elite passing stats and why Jermaine Pennant believes Liverpool cannot afford to lose the versatile midfielder.
Liverpool really needs to sort out a new contract for Curtis Jones before they make the same mistake it did with Luis Diaz. That’s what the Inside Liverpool panel thinks, especially now that Diaz is lighting up Bayern Munich and making Liverpool’s transfer moves look pretty questionable.
Bayern’s front three, with Diaz in the mix, have racked up 100 goals across all competitions this season – the first time any non-Spanish team has done that. Diaz himself has bagged 26 goals in 46 matches and just scored against PSG in the Champions League semi-final.
Looking back, Liverpool probably wish they hadn’t let Diaz walk for £65 million last summer. Since then, fans at Anfield haven’t seen anyone who brings what he did: that relentless pressing, always looming as a threat on the counter. Sure, they’ve brought in Rio Ngumoha, a teenager, just 17, but Arne Slot, the coach, knows you can’t just expect him to fill those shoes right away.
On talkSPORT’s Inside Liverpool, Jermaine Pennant, who has played for the club, said that Liverpool has to bring in another proven attacker over the summer. Pennant’s point: Diaz was great whether he played in the middle or on the left, and Liverpool needs someone with that kind of flexibility. You don’t want to sign a backup like Hugo Ekitike and then end up overcrowding with too many strikers when the main guy returns.
Now, Jones could end up in the same boat this summer. There’s a lot of uncertainty around his future, and when you look at the numbers, he’s only got 14 months left on his contract. Several clubs in England and Europe are watching, and he’s only started 15 games for Liverpool this season.
Even though he hasn’t played much, Jones is impressing; he’s second only to Rodri in midfielder passes per 90 minutes in the Premier League. He’s also ranked second behind Moises Caicedo for passing accuracy, and right behind Rayan Cherki for carries. Pennant said the club can’t afford to let him go: Jones is so versatile; you can play him anywhere in midfield or even right back. He knows the club, loves it, and helps connect the squad.
Jones has been one of the top performers recently. Pennant thinks Liverpool should offer him a new deal, especially since the squad is thinning out and they’ve already lost Trent Alexander-Arnold. In the end, it’s up to Jones if he wants to stay or move for more game time, but Liverpool has to make the offer while they still can.
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