Former Everton defender Joleon Lescott believes Liverpool boss Arne Slot could be braced for the sack this summer. And there's one key piece of evidence that has led him to believe that's the case.
It was recently reported Slot was denied his request to add Johnny Heitinga to his coaching staff after he left Tottenham last month. And Lescott said that could serve as writing on the wall concerning the board's long-term intentions as he spoke to Mirror Sport's Andy Dunn on the latest episode of the All Out Football podcast.
Regarding Liverpool's title defence, Lescott described it as "very up and down" before touching on Diogo Jota's death last year as something that needs to be taken into account: "If a player suffered a bereavement and had an off season, we would be compassionate to that a lot more than we're being compassionate to the fact that everyone suffered that bereavement.
"Every player, every fan, every member of staff that's impacted. So there's got to be some real consideration to what that's done [to Liverpool's fortunes on the field]."
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The former Toffee went on to suggest Slot has suffered as a result of the expectations created by winning the league in his first year. On top of that, Lescott was quick to remind Liverpool are still in the hunt for the Champions League and FA Cup this term, suggesting fans would have "snapped your hand off" to mirror these accomplishments after Jurgen Klopp's 2024 exit.
"So I don't know how [Slot] can be questioned," he continued. "And I've seen that he wanted Heitinga to come back in, and they've said no. So the fact they're stopping him from getting staffing means, yeah, there's probably potential change at the end of the season."
Former Everton full-back Heitinga, who managed against Slot's Feyenoord outfit when he was interim Ajax boss, departed Spurs after Thomas Frank's dismissal last month. Reports suggested the Dutchman was offered the chance to remain at the club but opted to leave instead.
It's hardly a positive sign when a coach isn't allowed to hire the staff he wants. However, there are many factors that could have led Liverpool's hierarchy to reject Heitinga, who already served as Slot's assistant in a previous spell.
Liverpool's season took another unfortunate turn on Tuesday following a 1-0 loss at Galatasaray in the Champions League. The Reds must now overcome a deficit at Anfield in next week's return leg if they're to reach the competition's quarter-finals.
Slot's side are also due to face Manchester City in the last eight of the FA Cup in early April. The Premier League title defence has long been over as the club sits sixth and 19 points off leaders Arsenal with only nine games to play.
Liverpool have recovered from their mid-season slump in time to potentially still finish this season with major silverware. And after the ecstasy of his debut campaign at Anfield, Slot may already be in a battle to prove he's still the man for the job beyond this term.
