Arne Slot is expected to remain in charge of Liverpool next season, with senior figures at Anfield increasingly confident the Dutch head coach will lead the club into another Champions League campaign.

Liverpool sit fifth in the Premier League, seven points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea with five matches remaining. With fifth place now enough to secure Champions League qualification, the club’s hierarchy view that target as the key benchmark in what has been a turbulent follow-up to last season’s title triumph.

Slot’s position has been the subject of intense scrutiny throughout the campaign. Liverpool are set to finish without silverware and have struggled to match the relentless pace set by Arsenal and Manchester City. Performances have fluctuated, and frustration has grown among sections of the fanbase who expected a more convincing defence of the league crown.

Yet the mood behind the scenes has shifted in recent weeks. The widening gap to Chelsea, coupled with an upturn in results, has eased immediate pressure. Influential voices around the club now anticipate Slot will be backed to oversee a crucial summer rebuild rather than replaced.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has spoken of a split among supporters over Slot’s future, but suggested that Champions League qualification would effectively secure his position. That view aligns with the stance emerging from within the club, where this season is increasingly being framed as a transitional year rather than a failed project.

The board is preparing for significant changes to the squad, not least following the announcement that Mohamed Salah will depart at the end of the season. RB Leipzig forward Yan Diomande is among the leading candidates to bolster the attack, while reinforcements in other areas are also being explored.

On the pitch, captain Virgil van Dijk has acknowledged that standards have slipped, despite a morale-boosting Merseyside derby win over Everton that strengthened Liverpool’s grip on a top-five finish. He described the campaign as “below standard” but insisted the players remain determined to salvage it by securing Champions League football.

Liverpool still face two of the current top five, as well as Chelsea, in a demanding run-in that will test both Slot’s tactical acumen and the squad’s resilience. But barring a late collapse, the club appears ready to place its faith in the Dutchman for at least one more season.