Liverpool head coach Arne Slot believes winning the Premier League and the celebrations which accompanied it will boost their transfer opportunities.
Sunday’s 5-1 win over Tottenham secured a record-equalling 20th title – and the first in 35 years which could be celebrated by fans, as the 2020 triumph came under Covid restrictions.
There were wild scenes after the game and Slot said the celebrations will have been a powerful message for prospective targets.
“The main advantage of winning the league is, until now if I spoke to players I wanted to bring in I always told them our fans are really special and it’s special to play at this club,” he said.
“That was maybe not even necessary to tell them in the past but after Sunday I don’t think I ever have to tell anyone again how special our fans are because that was unbelievable.
“Winning the league, having these fans, this is a big attraction to every player we want to bring in.”
Slot was inundated with congratulatory messages following the Spurs victory, with predecessor Jurgen Klopp the most high-profile.
“What did he have to say? What most of them said, ‘Congratulations, now you know how special a club it is, now you are part of history as well’,” Slot added.
“He was really happy for me, the players, the staff and fans – like we all know Jurgen (is).”
Another benefit of winning the league with four matches to go means Slot can afford to give fringe players opportunities.
However, there will be no repeat of the completely second-string side that exited the FA Cup against Championship strugglers Plymouth.
“It is the end of the season but we also have to look at this as the start of next season already,” Slot said ahead of Sunday’s trip to Chelsea.
“Some of them deserve to play already because they have trained so well, they are good enough to play for this club, but I mainly chose the same players.
“But it is not now that all the ones who played all the games are not going to play and the other ones are going to play. I did this once before – Plymouth away – and I got quite a lot of criticism.
“We will mix it up but it’s not going to be four games with the same line-up as we had against Tottenham.”
Those hoping for a chance include Harvey Elliott, Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo, all bit-part players this season.
Elliott, who has yet to start a league match this season, has stressed his determination to fight for his future.
“First of all it is very important that players who are here with us like to stay, that’s a big compliment to everyone working here,” said Slot.
“Harvey was injured for a long time and I’ve been honest with him, the first part when he came back from his injury he was not the same as he was before the injury – but in the last few months he is back to his old level.
“I don’t think they have anything to prove to me because I see them every single day in training and I’ve seen them playing in the past.
“I think they want to prove for themselves they are good enough to play for us. I already know they are and they probably themselves know this as well.”
