Liverpool head coach Arne Slot believes the club is well placed for sustained improvement as a major investment in young talent begins to show signs of paying off.

Expectations were high at the start of the season after Liverpool spent close to £450 million on new arrivals, fueling hopes of a successful Premier League title defence. However, the integration of those signings proved uneven in the opening months of the campaign.

Aside from flashes of promise from Hugo Ekitike, several of the new faces struggled to make an immediate impact. Club-record signing Alexander Isak, who joined from Newcastle for £125 million, has endured a frustrating season disrupted by injuries and is now set to miss most of the remaining fixtures after suffering a broken leg.

More recently, though, signs of progress have emerged. Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong have all begun to rediscover the form that earned them moves to Anfield, playing key roles during a 13-game unbeaten run for Slot’s side.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s Premier League trip to Bournemouth, Slot stressed his belief that the team’s best days are still ahead.

“If you look at the age of the signings, they will be better next season and the season after,” Slot said. “We spoke about Florian earlier in the season — he lacked goals and assists, but he was always very close. Even now, he could almost double his numbers with the chances he’s creating or providing for his teammates.

“I only see positives in this team in terms of progress, even though we’ve had to adapt many times throughout the season. We are already in a good place, and this club will still be in a good place tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after.”

Liverpool’s hopes of retaining the Premier League title have faded, with the Reds now sitting 14 points behind leaders Arsenal. Attention has instead shifted to securing a Champions League place for next season.

Slot’s side currently occupy fourth position, though the table remains congested, with just six points separating them from Brighton in 12th. Liverpool also boosted their European prospects with a convincing 3-0 victory away to Marseille on Wednesday, taking a major step towards qualification for the Champions League last 16.

Despite the club’s heavy spending in the summer, Slot does not anticipate further additions before the January transfer window closes.

“That’s what I expect, yes,” he said. “As I always say, if there’s an opportunity in the market or if we believe we can strengthen, this club will try to do so. But at this moment, I expect things to remain largely the same.”