Wayne Rooney described the Liverpool youngster as “fantastic,” and Arne Slot should pay attention.

When he takes over as manager of Liverpool, Arne Slot has a long list of tasks ahead of him. He might do worse than to hear Wayne Rooney’s antiquated viewpoint.

Arne Slot has a difficult assignment in front of him. He is not only taking the place of one of the greatest Liverpool managers ever, Jürgen Klopp, but he is also arriving at a time when a lot of other things are changing.

All things considered, the reconfigured backroom system ought to enable Slot to perform effectively. Big-picture leadership is provided by the return of Michael Edwards as FSG’s CEO of Football, while Richard Hughes’s arrival as sports director will give him the lead on transactions.

However, when it comes to the major contract calls, Slot won’t always be the only or even the leading voice. Despite this, he has a lot of doubts about that when he comes to Anfield because Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah are all about to enter their last year of contracts.

Salah’s contract is still up in the air, but The Athletic reported today that Liverpool expects him to stay for at least another season. Though, from the club’s perspective, you would think the Alexander-Arnold debate would be simple, it would be wise to move that specific topic to the back burner.

Slot has a lot to manage on the pitch even if he is largely shielded from the larger squad planning considerations. He is taking over a team that has a lot of problems and a lot of potential, and this season has shown him both sides of the coin.

To make Liverpool serious contenders, they will need to improve their offensive profligacy and defensive porousness. Personnel considerations will play a factor in it, as Slot tries to decide on his starting lineup.

That’s not at all easy. Darwin Núñez is a walking conundrum because he is always balancing the amount of opportunities he gets against the number he loses. Salah alone may be a concern for Klopp, since his recent benching has created awkward tensions.

Slot still has a little army of youthful talent that he must manage, even if he can sort through Klopp’s present first team and make the required judgements. The recent success of Liverpool’s development system is quite impressive, and the incoming manager cannot afford to pass up the next Curtis Jones or Alexander-Arnold.

Some players, such as Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah, have already experienced extensive first-team involvement. However, there are those who are about to make a move, and Slot has to catch up quickly.

Regarding one child, he would be well advised to follow Wayne Rooney’s previous evaluation. The former Manchester United striker, out of work following a disastrous stint as Birmingham City manager, met a Liverpool prospect at Derby County.

That’s where Kaide Gordon was discovered by Liverpool. He has faded from the public’s consciousness due to injury issues, but Slot cannot afford to ignore him, and Rooney explains why.

In 2020, Rooney, Gordon’s coach at the time, remarked, “Kaide is a fantastic player and he has got a lot of potential.” “Of course there will be interest in Kaide because he is a fantastic player, so we expect there to be interest in him.”

As it turned out, Liverpool expressed interest in Gordon, and Klopp gave him his first taste of playing time right away. He came off the bench for the briefest of Premier League cameos against Bournemouth in January, but after an injury nightmare, he’s back on the fringes of the first team. He also participated in a 75-minute game against Union SG in the Europa League.

Gordon, who is still only 19 years old, is someone Slot can’t afford to ignore, according to both Rooney and Klopp. Although Salah is not moving, the question of who will replace him in the long run is still open, and the youth has the opportunity to make his name known.

According to Liverpool.com; It’s a huge preseason for Gordon and many other Liverpool kids. Although there are some preconceived notions going into the game, this is the closest thing to a clean slate in nearly a decade, so many players will be motivated to leave their mark.

Gordon has long been identified by Rooney as someone to monitor, but there are a plenty of other options as well. That’s still only really scraping the surface; Bobby Clark appears ready for a bigger part, Stefan Bajčetić is returned from a nasty injury, and Fábio Carvalho and Tyler Morton are returning from productive loans at Hull. It makes sense that Slot is supposed to be content with his role as head coach rather than manager because he has plenty of work!