Liverpool legend tells Arne Slot the two transfers he needs to make in January

A Liverpool legend has been impressed by "clever" Arne Slot's start to life at . However, he has .

Since arriving from Feyenoord, has failed to win just once, albeit in a home defeat to Nottingham Forest that seems like it will haunt the head coach for some time to come. Nevertheless, the Reds sit atop the table at the second international break.

Bigger tests are on the horizon, with — although this could easily have been a double-edged sword. A slow start from the new coach could have cost Liverpool some truly unacceptable dropped points that would have effectively derailed the campaign from a competitive standpoint before it had really begun.

Defying the hopes and expectations of many supporters, Slot has navigated the early months without any significant transfer activity. And perhaps this relative continuity amid so much behind-the-scenes change has helped keep the results coming.

was the one player to arrive in the summer, and the Italian has hardly featured. was signed too, but will not arrive until next year.

So it has been a largely familiar group that has set about delivering results for Slot in ruthlessly efficient fashion. But certain players have looked revitalized — none more so than , who has been the main beneficiary of Liverpool's decision not to pursue an alternative to Martin Zubimendi.

The next big question on the transfer front will be whether Liverpool chooses to dip into the market in January. And Mark Lawrenson believes that while Slot's gradual approach has been smart, he would benefit from a couple of winter additions.

“I didn’t really sit down and think about Arne Slot before he came in, so I didn’t have any expectations," Lawrenson told . "He’s taken over from a very successful manager in who had a very, very good team.

"It wasn’t broken, so it didn’t need any fixing. So he’s just had to tweak a few things and I think he’s clever enough to slowly make a few changes which will hopefully improve the team.

"He’s done it without any new players when you look at how dormant they were in the summer transfer window, so he’ll be looking in January at a few players. They probably need another central midfielder and maybe another center back."

Liverpool.com says: The success of Gravenberch in the holding role makes the midfield recruitment question a really interesting one. On the evidence so far, it would not be easy to go out and source an upgrade — but a bit more depth might nonetheless be welcome, with Wataru Endo not the most natural fit in Slot's system.

Likewise, it may need to be a depth signing at the back, with nobody likely to displace and . The hugely competent Jarell Quansah is also waiting in the wings, as is Joe Gomez.

But with Van Dijk 33 and into the last year of his contract, Liverpool does need to think about the future. Getting a promising young center-back through the door in January would seem like a smart move.