Liverpool news: Arne Slot sack stance clear as dream Reds replacement emerges

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Liverpool's season hit a new low on Wednesday night as they were dumped out of the Carabao Cup. Last season's finalists were undone by Crystal Palace for a third time this term as the Eagles romped to a 3-0 win at Anfield over a second-string Liverpool side.

Oliver Glasner's side beat Liverpool in the Community Shield on penalties ahead of the new season. They then beat the reigning Premier League champions 2-1 at Selhurst Park in late September to kick-start Liverpool's dire run of form that continues to rumble on.

The future of Reds boss Arne Slot is now naturally a major talking point amongst many supporters. Liverpool face Aston Villa at Anfield on Saturday night with the Reds in desperate need of stopping the rot following a shocking run of six defeats in seven, which includes four consecutive losses in the Premier League.

With the club's stance on Slot's future clear, the Dutchman's message to fans has also come to light. Away from managerial concerns, Liverpool have also been informed of the perfect replacement to take over from captain Virgil van Dijk. Mirror Football takes a look at some of the latest news coming out of Anfield.

Slot's job is reportedly safe at Anfield and he is very much being backed by the club's hierarchy. Slot's achievement in winning the league title his first season remains one of the club's crowning achievements in recent years.

The triumph has given him plenty of credit in the bank and Liverpool have no intention of making a managerial change during this current bad patch. This is despite the flak he received for fielding an inexperienced side against Palace in the League Cup.

However, recent comments from former manager Jurgen Klopp have not helped Slot's position of late. The question has been posed as to whether Liverpool would turn back to the German if Slot's position became untenable.

The Reds' most iconic manager in recent times, who left Anfield in 2024 after suffering from burnout , has already hinted a reunion could be possible if the stars aligned.

Speaking on The Diary of a CEO podcast earlier in October, the German said: "I said I will never coach a different team in England so that means, if [I did return], then it's Liverpool. So, yeah, theoretically it is possible (that he could coach Liverpool again)."

Slot sent a message to the Liverpool faithful after some supporters were seen pouring out of Anfield in the 70th minute against Palace. The uncharacteristic exodus from some seemed to suggest that Slot has lost support from sections of the crowd.

However, the former Feyenoord boss was backed by large quarters of the ground who made a point of singing their under-fire manager's name.

Speaking after the game, Slot said the reception for him and his team on Wednesday gave him encouragement that Liverpool would be roared on come Saturday evening against Villa, despite their recent woes.

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“If you’re on a run of results like this, if you play for Liverpool, if you manage Liverpool, you know the pressure is there and I don’t think it has changed much after this loss," Slot said.

"But if it did then maybe the most positive thing about tonight was that the position we were in, 2-0 down and we weren’t really pushing for a goal because we weren’t able to, the fans were behind the team, were supporting us."

He continued: "That gives me the feeling that Saturday when our players will show how much it means to them, our fans will be incredibly supportive for us Saturday."

After a stunning transfer outlay this summer, Liverpool still look light in the centre-back department. Even before Giovanni Leoni's ACL injury, Liverpool's failed attempt to land Palace star Marc Guehi in the summer suggested the Reds were keen on bolstering their backline.

However, ex-Reds midfielder Didi Hamann believes that Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck, 25, could be the club's dream answer. The German also believes his compatriot could even operate as a successor to Van Dijk, yet warned Liverpool would face competition for his signature.

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" Bayern Munich are stepping up their interest in Schlotterbeck," Hamann told Esports Bet. "He was absolutely outstanding on Saturday.

"He's been out with an injury for four or five months and only been back for four or five weeks, but he's a natural leader. Bayern Munich are interested, but you don't know how long Virgil van Dijk is going to be there.

"The perfect situation would be to bring somebody in who maybe plays with Van Dijk for one or two years and then takes over Van Dijk's role. I think he'd be a great signing for Liverpool, and a lot of other teams as well."

With Van Dijk now 34 and Ibrahima Konate out of contract at the end of the season as things stand, Liverpool's search for a new centre-back could be ramped up in January or next summer.

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