Liverpool sack Arne Slot: Why Mo Salah and Curtis Jones are winners, while Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo could lose out

Liverpool endured a dire 2025-26 campaign under Arne Slot, failing to defend their Premier League title and suffering a number of humiliating defeats in the process, but a new era awaits after the manager was sacked on Saturday.

The Reds boss famously fell out with Mohamed Salah during his time on Merseyside, while players such as Curtis Jones - who had been a mainstay in the squad under Jurgen Klopp - were sidelined, and some at the club will benefit from the boss's dismissal.

On the other hand, out of favour stars such as Ryan Gravenberch were given more opportunities under Slot, and they are likely to be concerned about the future under a different head coach next season.

Here, after Liverpool sacked Slot, Sports Mole takes a look at the winners and losers from his departure.

Why is Mo Salah a winner after Liverpool sacked Arne Slot?

Salah, the third highest goalscorer in Liverpool's history, waved goodbye to the club at the end of the 2025-26 season following a difficult year that was defined not only by his reduced output, but a public dispute between himself and Slot.

After the Egyptian winger was dropped for the third game in a row during the Reds' 3-3 draw against Leeds United on December 6, he spoke out against figures at the club, and without naming individuals, stated that he felt "Thrown under the bus."

Upon returning from the Africa Cup of Nations in January, Salah immediately rejoined the XI, helping Liverpool to a 3-0 win over Marseille in the Champions League.

However, the 33-year-old made just 23 starts in the Premier League overall and was left out of the starting lineup for a number of key games, including both legs of the Reds' Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain.

Salah was an unused substitute in the first leg, though he did play 59 minutes of the return fixture after Hugo Ekitike ruptured his Achilles, and went on to be arguably the most dangerous player for either team in the entirety of the tie, despite missing more than two thirds of the action.

The club legend's criticism of Slot reared its head in public once again before the final top-flight game of the season, with Salah posting a social media statement that referenced a desire to return to 'heavy metal' football at Liverpool, the wording of which was seen as a thinly veiled jab at the manager.

Regardless, Salah started against Brentford and ended his Reds career by taking in the applause and adoration of the Anfield crowd, signing off with an excellent trivela assist for Jones's opener.

Now that Slot has been sacked, the forward's actions - which were heavily criticised by Jamie Carragher in particular - have the chance to be seen as vindicated, especially if reported managerial target Andoni Iraola hits the ground running next season.

Why is Curtis Jones a winner after Liverpool sacked Arne Slot?

Academy graduate Jones rose through the ranks under Klopp, but as of this summer, the 25-year-old midfielder has just one year left on his contract and looks likely to be sold in the upcoming transfer window.

The Englishman has been reluctant to sign a new deal at Anfield due to the lack of opportunities he received under Slot, who preferred to start the likes of Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister in the centre of the park, even when the pair were significantly underperforming.

The main criticism levied at Jones since his breakthrough has been about his supposed reluctance to pass forward, but in 2025-26, only Rodri (11.46) averaged more passes into the final third per 90 minutes than Jones (10.62) in the Premier League, not to mention that he played more progressive passes per 90 (9.55) than all but two of the division's central midfielders.

With the Reds struggling to break down opposition blocks this season, it could be argued that Jones's passing may have been better utilised by Slot, who only saw fit to start him 18 times in the top flight.

Additionally, in a season that has seen Slot's midfield bypassed consistently, Jones's 6.8 possessions won per 90 (the third highest figure in the league) could have been an asset.

It has been reported that the scouser is willing to move to Inter Milan this summer in order to secure more game time, but with Slot exiting the club, Jones could have the opportunity to become a key figure under a new manager.

Why is Liverpool's academy a winner after the club sacked Arne Slot?

Fans often noted the fact that Slot preferred to avoid using youngsters or academy talent in his first-team setups, instead sticking to tried and tested senior stars.

In the aftermath of his sacking, reports have also claimed that the former boss was criticised internally for failing to pay enough attention to the youth sides at Liverpool, and it is said that academy staff were frustrated at his lack of interest in their work.

A new head coach such as Iraola would be expected to place greater emphasis on youth development and implementation than Slot did during his tenure on Merseyside, something that could be a major boon for the club, especially given their recent acquisition spree targeting young talent.

Why are Liverpool fans winners after the club sacked Arne Slot?

Liverpool fans grew increasingly bemused by Slot as the 2025-26 campaign wore on, and while they were grateful for his work in securing a 20th Premier League title, they felt for many months that it was time to part ways with the manager.

However, when the coach oversaw record-breaking poor runs such as a spell of nine defeats in 12 matches back in November, or masterminded dire performances in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and FA Cup, it seemed as though no change would come.

This apparent division between the feelings of the fans and those of the boardroom fuelled the toxicity surrounding the Reds in the final few months of the season, and prompted supporters to show their frustrations by booing at Anfield on multiple occasions, as well as hanging signs reading 'Slot Out' at the training ground in desperate attempts to be heard.

Now, with the former Feyenoord boss having been sacked, fans are relieved that their pleas have been recognised by the club, even if the disappointment of a difficult term remains fresh in the mind.

Why might Ryan Gravenberch lose out after Liverpool sacked Arne Slot?

Gravenberch saw little game time during Klopp's final season at Anfield, though the club's hierarchy remained hopeful that the ex-Ajax prodigy could fulfil his potential on Merseyside.

When Liverpool's pursuit of Martin Zubimendi failed in the summer of 2024, the Dutchman was trialled at the base of Slot's midfield, given that he was the player most comfortable with receiving the ball from the backline under pressure.

That being said, while Gravenberch initially performed well in the role, it was always apparent that he was operating out of position considering that he had previously been used as an attack-minded box-to-box midfielder.

In the latter stages of Slot's title-winning season and throughout 2025-26, the 24-year-old has struggled to meet the demands of being the team's deepest midfielder, most notably finding difficulty with defensive positioning and progressive passing.

A new face in the dugout will also come with new ideas, and would likely demand to have a natural defensive midfielder in front of their defence, a position that Liverpool-linked Adam Wharton could occupy.

Should a summer signing take the number six role, Gravenberch would then be competing with Dominik Szoboszlai, Florian Wirtz, Jones, Mac Allister and Trey Nyoni for the remaining spots in the centre of the park, but with the Hungary captain near-undroppable - and Wirtz costing upwards of £100m - the Dutchman could be relegated to a squad role.

Why might Cody Gakpo lose out after Liverpool sacked Arne Slot?

It is no secret that Liverpool fans had grown frustrated with the repeated selection of Cody Gakpo despite his lacklustre performances on the left flank, from where he chipped in with a mere nine goals and seven assists during his 51 competitive appearances for the club in 2025-26.

To break those numbers down in more detail, the 27-year-old delivered one goal contribution every 218 minutes across all competitions, a staggeringly low rate that is significantly worse than Salah's (133 mins) during what was the Egyptian's least productive season in a Reds jersey.

Ngumoha was the star of Liverpool's pre-season campaign, but when the action kicked off in earnest, his minutes on the pitch were few and far between, and supporters felt that Slot was reluctant to drop Gakpo for the youngster.

In fairness to Slot, the former Chelsea academy talent became a more regular fixture during the latter stages of the season, though it could be argued that his increased game time was forced due to a series of injuries up top.

Liverpool have been linked with a number of wingers for both sides of the pitch, including RB Leipzig's Yan Diomande and PSG's Bradley Barcola, and a new manager may place less faith in Gakpo to be the team's starter on the left.

However, given that Ekitike is set to be sidelined for a number of months due to his Achilles injury, and that Isak is injury-prone, the Dutchman could find minutes as a backup striker if the Reds decide against another signing at centre-forward.