Arne Slot ‘considered signing’ Liverpool ace for Feyenoord and could now give him a huge chance

While Arne Slot is already at Liverpool, he will have to wait a few weeks before the players join him. But from July 1, the first tranche of returns will begin, and the Dutchman can really start to enforce the rule on some of his new squad.

Many of the players will be delayed from participating in international tournaments. But Slot will still have plenty of exciting talent to assess, including up-and-coming youngsters like Bobby Clark and returning loanee Sepp van den Berg – although he may already be familiar with one player in particular, having reportedly coveted him at Feyenoord.

Fabio Carvalho should be among those reporting for duty early next month. He switched allegiance from England to Portugal at youth international level but is yet to receive a senior cap and will not feature at the Euros.

READ MORE: Liverpool have already dismantled Enzo Maresca’s side twice and Chelsea should be worried

READ MORE: Assistant Arne Slot gives a cryptic answer to Liverpool’s question despite Virgil van Dijk’s claim

Signed by Liverpool when his Fulham contract expires in the summer of 2022 after a January move failed to materialise, Carvalho has made a relatively promising start under Jurgen Klopp. The highlight from afar was a dramatic late winner against Newcastle.

But Carvalho fell dramatically down the pecking order and by the start of the 2023/24 season, a loan made sense. The attacking midfielder ventured to RB Leipzig.

Things were looking dicey as Carvalho also struggled for playing time there. But he managed to get his career back on track with a highly successful loan spell at Hull in the second half of the campaign after Liverpool terminated his Bundesliga loan early.

Now Slot will have to decide what to do next. His system of choice at Feyenoord allows a bit more space for a number 10, which would seem to benefit Carvalho – but more than that, the playmaker has actually been on the radar at the Dutch club.

According to The Athletic, Feyenoord “had an interest” in Carvalho during Slot’s time at the helm, suggesting he is a fan of the player. There are no guarantees yet, with a temporary or even permanent transfer on the table should he fail to rise up the order, but it is a promising sign for the 21-year-old.

Carvalho wasn’t the only Liverpool loanee to impress at Hull, where Tyler Morton shone on a season-long deal. He’s another Slot will want to take a look at – the time before the full squad returns potentially proves very beneficial.

Liverpool.com says: A fresh start at Liverpool means a huge chance for some of the youngsters, including Carvalho. The former Feyenoord boss won’t rip off Klopp’s winning template but comes in without any established favorites or selection.

Of course, Slot has done its research and will have players and plans in mind. But it’s a massive pre-season when it comes to impressing the manager and it looks like Carvalho might have the slightest edge.