Gary Neville has singled out Liverpool’s summer recruitment as one major factor as to why Arne Slot’s men have struggled so badly this season, in his post-match thoughts after Manchester United’s 3-2 win over their arch rivals.
During his debut season at the helm, Arne Slot looked like a dream replacement for Jurgen Klopp, as the Merseyside club stormed to the Premier League title in style.
With Mohamed Salah chipping in with a staggering 29 goals and 18 assists last season, too, the expectation would’ve been that the Reds could pick up back-to-back top-flight titles.
With serious cash also splashed out last summer on the services of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, to name but a few, Liverpool fans would have been licking their lips at the prospect of watching their champions, with some adjustments here and there, wipe the floor with the rest of the league.
It hasn’t played out like that in reality, however, leaving many to question whether Slot is the right head coach moving forward, when he once looked like the perfect successor to Klopp.
Indeed, at the time of writing, the Merseyside giants have picked up a majorly concerning 19 defeats this season, including their Community Shield final defeat right at the start of the campaign on penalties, with Manchester United securing another win over their sworn enemy, by collecting a 3-2 victory on Sunday.
Liverpool Premier League Comparison:
| Season | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses |
| 24/25 (final) | 38 | 25 | 9 | 4 |
| 25/26 (current) | 34 | 17 | 7 | 10 |
While many with Liverpool connections would throw their vitriol the way of the under-fire Dutchman at the full-time whistle, ex-Red Devils defender Gary Neville, who would have loved what he saw from a United perspective, has singled out the Reds’ rash summer recruitment for criticism, instead of placing all the blame on the now unpopular 44-year-old’s shoulders.
Neville’s recruitment comments
It wasn’t just the players who cost Liverpool serious cash in the summer who let the team down at Old Trafford, with Alexis Mac Allister‘s half-hearted clearance late on, gifting Kobbie Mainoo the opportunity to smash home his last winner.
Still, when looking at Jeremie Frimpong’s display, who cost Liverpool £29.5m, yet he won just two of his ten duels, alongside Wirtz costing £115m, who couldn’t muster up a single shot on target at Senne Lammens’ goal, the new recruits definitely warrant their own share of the criticism.
Neville would focus on these underwhelming recruits in his post-match analysis, with injury issues also haunting the reigning Premier League champions in this department, as Alexander Isak finds himself out of Slot’s plans, yet again, after a record-breaking £125m switch.
The outspoken pundit didn’t hold back, when saying: “At the start of the season, we were all predicting them to win the league or get close. They wanted Frimpong to replace Trent and Kerkez to replace Robertson.
“They wanted Salah to repeat his previous season this year. They thought Ekitike and Isak would score 60 goals between them, and Wirtz would just tuck in off the left and be a sensation.”
“It hasn’t worked. The recruitment hasn’t worked, and obviously, there have been injuries as well. Since last season, they have tried to replace players they knew were aging, but those coming in – other than Ekitike – haven’t settled.”
Liverpool supporters everywhere will likely agree with Neville’s comments, despite his past connections to the Red Devils, as the majority of the Reds’ summer signings have flopped or been too inconsistent to receive constant praise.
Hugo Ekitike is the only slight success story, as Neville mentions, with the £69m signing powering home an encouraging 17 goals during his debut campaign.
But, he was nowhere to be seen at the Theatre of Dreams, with a ruptured Achilles tendon injury cutting his promising first season on Merseyside short, rather cruelly.
Of course, Slot isn’t exempt from criticism, here, as he is the head coach on the sidelines and he’s the main figure on the training ground tasked with getting more out of this Liverpool camp.
In an ideal reality, the £445m riches splashed out on improving the squad would’ve done just that.
Instead, heading into this summer, even more tinkering is required, with Salah’s exit leaving the Reds searching for even more firepower to complement the likes of the hit-and-miss Ekitike and Isak.
The fallout from the Old Trafford defeat has laid bare a harsh reality: last season’s Premier League title now feels like a distant memory rather than a foundation for a dynasty.
While the Anfield masses may be quick to point the finger at Slot’s tactical rigidity, Neville’s assessment shifts the focus to a deeper structural failure at the club.
The staggering £445m investment in the likes of Wirtz, Isak, and Frimpong was supposed to future-proof the post-Klopp era.
Instead, a combination of record-breaking price tags, inconsistent performances, and the “cruel” injury blow to Ekitike has left the squad looking disjointed and fragile.
Ultimately, Slot finds himself in a precarious position. To survive, he must prove he can get a tune out of his expensive recruits while navigating the impending departure of Mohamed Salah.
With the Champions League spots still within reach, the upcoming clash against Chelsea is no longer just a high-profile fixture; it is a final stand for a manager whose dream replacement status has evaporated in the heat of a disastrous defensive campaign.
Whether the board chooses patience or a clean slate, one thing is certain: the recruitment gamble of 2025 has left Liverpool facing a summer of even more expensive questions.
