Arne Slot is officially no longer the manager of Liverpool.
The Dutch coach spent two years at the helm, leading the Reds to a Premier League title in his initial season. However, his tenure ended on a sour note as fan discontent grew during his final months.
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At the outset of the 2025-26 season, Liverpool enjoyed a promising five-game winning streak. Nonetheless, Slot’s decision to alter tactics resulted in a significant downturn in the team’s performance.
His choice to disregard the talents of players like Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo was seen as risky. While such a strategy could have earned him accolades had it succeeded, Liverpool ultimately finished fifth in the Premier League, leaving Slot in an embarrassing position.
This disappointing performance has prompted Liverpool to seek improvements across nearly every area of the squad.
In this transitional summer, one of Slot‘s preferred players is set to join Nottingham Forest.
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Givairo Read has approved a move to Nottingham Forest this summer
Last season, Liverpool struggled particularly with their right-back position.
Injuries sidelined players like Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong, forcing Slot to rotate players such as Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Joe Gomez, and Wataru Endo in that role.
Though Szoboszlai and Gomez performed adequately, it’s evident that the other players are better suited for central midfield roles.
This injury crisis led to Liverpool’s interest in several right-backs during the January transfer window, but no moves materialized, and speculation has persisted into the current transfer window.
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A player who was rumored to be sought after by Liverpool is Givairo Read.
Having made his debut under Slot at Feyenoord, the young talent has yet to play outside the Eredivisie but appears to be a promising prospect.
However, according to Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool’s chance to sign the 20-year-old is fading as he has reportedly approved a transfer to Nottingham Forest.
“Nottingham Forest has made a second offer for Givairo Read as a new right-back from Feyenoord,” he wrote.
“I understand the proposal is worth a €20m package with the player open to the move; personal terms should not present an issue.
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“The deal is in progress.”
Liverpool needs to sign a new right-back
While Liverpool has several players they can utilize in the right-back position, adding another full-back would be beneficial.
Many defensive options in the squad are injury-prone. Even though Gomez has been injury-free recently, it remains a risk to rely solely on him for consistency.
Considering he is one of only four viable center-back options, he cannot be considered a primary choice for right-back either.
This is why a player like Read would be an ideal fit for Liverpool.
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At just 20 years old, he has ample opportunity to reach his full potential and become one of the top full-backs in the world.
Moreover, as he is primarily known from the Eredivisie, his transfer fee may not be overly steep, making Nottingham Forest’s bid of €20 million a plausible one.
If Hughes departs for Al-Hilal and Liverpool heads into the 2026-27 season without bolstering their defense, serious questions will arise.