Although no major outlet has directly confirmed reports of Harvey Elliott storming out of training, as previously speculated, the broader atmosphere at Liverpool hints at growing unease among fringe players.
These rumblings come as the club prepares for the 2025/26 Premier League and Champions League campaigns, fresh off their title-winning season in 2024/25.
Arne Slot’s training sessions have been described as “tactically demanding,” featuring regular double sessions focused on possession, pressing, and precise positional play.
Right-back Conor Bradley described the intensity, saying, “We probably had a meeting or two every day… to understand what the gaffer wants.” Similarly, Jarell Quansah, prior to his move to Bayer Leverkusen, emphasized the relentless tactical workload.
While players like Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Ryan Gravenberch have thrived in Slot’s structured 4-2-4 system—with Salah tallying 32 goals and 23 assists, and Gravenberch logging over 2,900 Premier League minutes—others have struggled to keep pace with the expectations.
Among those reportedly feeling the pressure is Harvey Elliott. Limited to just two league starts last season due to a foot injury and stiff competition from new arrival Florian Wirtz, Elliott’s frustration has been noted on social media, with Newcastle and West Ham linked as potential suitors. However, no formal bids have been reported.
Other players, including Wataru Endo and Federico Chiesa—both of whom had minimal league starts—are also believed to be finding Slot’s intense tactical expectations overwhelming.
Sources suggest Slot’s straightforward and often blunt feedback, such as his pointed criticism of Salah’s warm-up routines, has created tension within parts of the squad.
Some of the unrest appears to stem from the shift away from Jürgen Klopp’s emotionally charged, high-energy pressing game toward Slot’s more analytical, possession-based style.
Klopp emphasized physicality and emotion; Slot, by contrast, focuses on “tactical traps” and body positioning, demanding high mental engagement that some players find draining.
One insider told the *Liverpool Echo* that “not everyone’s bought into the constant tactical meetings,” especially younger or rotational players competing with established figures like Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister.
Team morale has also been impacted by the emotional fallout from Diogo Jota’s tragic death in July 2025. A moment of light-heartedness between Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez in training was a rare instance of visible levity.
Despite these challenges, Slot’s methods have proven effective. By November 2024, Liverpool had won 15 of their 17 games in all competitions and went on to win the Premier League.
Big-money signings such as Wirtz (£116m), Frimpong (£29.5m), Kerkez (£40m), and Ekitike (£79m) have strengthened the squad, but the club’s full non-homegrown player quota means departures are necessary to accommodate them.
Elliott’s potential transfer, along with possible moves for Darwin Núñez—who’s been linked to Napoli and Al-Hilal after hinting at discontent—may help balance squad size and finances.
However, losing such players could weaken depth. Former striker John Aldridge has already warned against selling Núñez or Luis Díaz, highlighting the risks of overhauling too much at once.
The squad’s mixed response to Slot’s demanding regime underscores Liverpool’s transitional state: while some players have embraced the new direction, others are clearly wrestling with reduced roles and mounting pressure.
With the season opener against Tottenham approaching, Slot faces the crucial task of managing internal tension while successfully integrating his new signings to maintain Liverpool’s competitive edge.
