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Liverpool will finally get the chance to enjoy a “proper pre-season” this summer, beyond their high-profile tour of Asia, as they look to build momentum under new head coach Arne Slot.

The club has already announced two major friendlies in the Far East, forming the early stages of their preparation for the 2025/26 campaign.

This will see them begin as Premier League champions.

Slot’s men are set to face AC Milan in Hong Kong on July 26, followed by a clash with Yokohama F.

Marinos in Japan on July 30.

Beyond the Asia tour, additional fixtures in Europe and domestically are expected, while a training camp abroad is also on the cards.

Crucially, the Reds will also spend an extended stretch at the AXA Training Centre from early July, something they lacked last year.

Speaking after Sunday’s 2-1 win over West Ham, captain Virgil van Dijk shared how much he values a more structured pre-season, as he anticipates signing a new two-year contract with the club.

“Take it all the way back to last summer, I didn’t have a proper pre-season.

I think I came in on the Monday before we played Sevilla [in a friendly at Anfield] and I played 90 minutes straight away, then the following week it was Ipswich and then you’re just back into it.

You don’t have time to work on what the manager really wants in terms of a training camp.”

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He believes this summer will be different and better as he spoke to The Mail’s Lewis Steele.

“This year, there is a training camp and there is time for the team to work on what the manager wants and I think that will then improve the team.

There are still so many things to improve, but we shouldn’t forget the quality that the Premier League possesses because we see it.

I think a proper pre-season would definitely help the club in order to be even more consistent than we already have been.”

Van Dijk’s comments come as he nears the end of his current deal, but all signs point to a contract extension being confirmed soon, possibly this week.

Slot will allow the squad a significant break after the final game of the season against Crystal Palace on May 25.

However, with no major international tournaments this summer and Mohamed Salah already excused from Egypt duty, many senior players will be available early.

Slot, during his time at Feyenoord, often opted for pre-season camps in Austria, a location familiar to Liverpool after several pre-seasons under Jurgen Klopp.

It’s likely to be considered again as part of the build-up to Slot’s first full season in charge.

Also read: Virgil van Dijk gives major summer transfer update on Liverpool’s plan


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