Arne Slot reaches out to Darwin Nunez with message about star's role in new Liverpool side

Liverpool's new gaffer Arne Slot has wasted no time in shaking things up, reaching out to Darwin Nunez with a clear message: he's central to the Anfield revolution.

Slot , keenly aware of Nunez's frustrations under Jurgen Klopp last term, especially with the task of filling the void left by Klopp's exit, made it one of his first orders of business to call the Uruguayan ace amidst his Copa America duties, assuring him of a pivotal role in the squad, according to the Mirror .

The $108million man's relentless energy is key to Slot's vision of an aggressive, pressing Liverpool side, and Nunez was reportedly chuffed to learn that his new boss values his contributions. After a tough Copa America run, which saw a heated Nunez clash with Colombian supporters post-semi-final, he's been granted a breather to regroup.

Meanwhile, Diogo Jota joins the Reds' pre-season hustle in the USA, fresh from his Euro stint with Portugal, allowing Slot to hone a tactical approach that demands his forwards spearhead the press. One veteran player even quipped that Slot's intense training regime in the States marks him as "a madman".

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Slot isn't just pushing physical limits; he's also employing video analysis to demonstrate how teams like Manchester City and his old club Feyenoord effectively harry their opponents into errors. Liverpool have yet to make a move in the transfer market since Arne Slot's appointment, but the Dutch manager is content to wait for the right player who fits his system.

Slot has earned a reputation in the Netherlands for achieving results on tight budgets, a key factor in Liverpool's decision to lure him away from Feyenoord. In his six seasons as a manager with Cambuur, AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord, he has never spent more than £7million on a single transfer.

Instead, he has focused on developing the talent he inherited, consistently finishing higher in the league than his predecessors. Slot's first full season as a coach saw him guide Cambuur to the brink of promotion to the Eredivisie before moving to AZ as assistant coach.

When he took over from John van den Brom in 2019, he led a surprise title challenge that saw the club compete with Erik ten Hag's Ajax at the top of the table before the season was cancelled due to the pandemic. During Slot's tenure, Alkmaar made nearly $64million from player sales.

His three-year stint at Feyenoord followed a similar pattern. He sold or released no fewer than 16 players upon his arrival, and despite a budget of just $7.6million, Slot guided the team to the Conference League Final, where they were defeated by Jose Mourinho's Roma.

In the subsequent season, a further 15 players were offloaded to generate $million - and despite half of this fund being allocated for new signings, six academy players featured in the team that clinched the championship for Feyenoord.

The previous season witnessed another squad overhaul as Feyenoord capitalised on the transfer market once more, yet they still managed to secure the Dutch Cup.