Liverpool Back Slot Despite Poor Season as Saudi Clubs Circle Edwards, Hughes, and Salah

Liverpool's board remains firmly in Arne Slot's corner despite a season that has left plenty of supporters questioning the Dutchman's future at Anfield. The club's hierarchy has no intention of parting ways with their manager, according to reports, believing there are sufficient extenuating circumstances to explain their current malaise.

The Reds' campaign has been a stark contrast to their title-winning efforts twelve months ago. Currently sitting fifth in the Premier League following their tenth league defeat of the season—a weekend loss to Brighton—Liverpool find themselves 21 points adrift of leaders Arsenal, a remarkable reversal from last year's ten-point superiority.

While Slot has steered the club into the Champions League quarter-finals and kept them alive in the FA Cup, the prospect of missing European football's premier competition next season looms large as a genuine concern. The £400m-plus investment in summer recruits has done little to silence the doubters among the fanbase, yet the club's decision-makers are adopting a longer-term view.

According to reports, Liverpool's hierarchy believes there are "numerous mitigating factors" behind the disappointing campaign and sees no reason to make a managerial change. The club's methodical approach to recruitment—demonstrated by the exhaustive six-month process and 60-page dossier that preceded Slot's appointment following Jurgen Klopp's departure—suggests they will afford their manager time to turn things around rather than resort to a caretaker arrangement.

However, change is coming to Merseyside regardless of Slot's fate. The Saudi Pro League has turned its attentions towards three key Liverpool figures. Michael Edwards, whose multi-club strategy has been shelved by Fenway Sports Group, is being courted as a potential new challenge, with the Saudis willing to present him with an opportunity. Sporting director Richard Hughes is also on their radar, viewed as an ideal fit for Al Hilal's recruitment operations.

Most significantly, the Saudi clubs remain "desperate" to secure Mohamed Salah following the Egyptian's announcement of his imminent departure from the club. The forward's exit represents a major blow to Liverpool's immediate prospects.

Slot himself has acknowledged the predicament, telling reporters: "It makes complete sense if you win the league last season and you've spent £150m—not £450m—that expectations are high. And those expectations were high for the pundits, for the media, for me, for the fans. But still it's not good enough, no matter how many excuses I can come up with. It's still not good enough in the position we're in right now."

The club has made clear that any managerial change will not happen mid-season, ruling out the sort of interim solution that other Premier League clubs have employed.