‘That’s the Answer’—Arne Slot Makes Clear Alexander Isak Transfer Admission

Liverpool manager Arne Slot insists that his side have enough attacking depth even if they don’t sign Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak this summer.

The reigning Premier League champions have embarked upon an extravagant spending spree in a bid to defend their top-flight crown. A pair of new fullbacks have been purchased together with the marquee arrivals of Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitiké. However, these incomings have been balanced by plenty of outgoings.

Darwin Núñez and Luis Díaz have been offloaded to Al Hilal and Bayern Munich respectively. If it is possible to look beyond the human tragedy of Diogo Jota’s heartbreaking passing, the former striker represents another attacking absence.

Many Liverpool-leaning onlookers are united in their belief that the Reds need another forward-thinking player, particularly one capable of playing through the middle given Ekitiké is currently the only natural centre forward at Slot’s disposal.

The club clearly shared the same point of view when they made a formal bid of £110 million ($148.8 million) for Isak at the start of August. That offer was bluntly rebuffed and Newcastle have publicly insisted that their star striker is highly unlikely to leave this summer. Slot presented a front of reassured indifference ahead of his side’s trip to St. James’ Park on Monday night.

“It depends how you want to look at it,” the Dutch boss shrugged. “If you want to add Florian Wirtz as an attacking option then you can make it five [available forwards], so yeah, we’ve sold Darwin and brought in Hugo.

“Lucho [Díaz] has gone, you can maybe see Florian as a replacement for that. And, yes, we all know what happened to Diogo. If you look at it like this, maybe we haven’t [got enough] but Jeremie Frimpong, when he is fit, is definitely an option to play as a winger as well, so then we end up at six forwards.”

Despite name-checking natural right back Frimpong, Slot overlooked attacking midfielder Harvey Elliott and teenage starlet Rio Ngumoha when listing Liverpool’s strength in depth. “We have six players who can play in three positions,” the increasingly frustrated coach added. “That’s the answer, yeah [I’m happy].”

Slot also noted the possibility of deploying Wirtz as a false nine—a role in which Slot used Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones at times last season. “I would consider Florian in more games for that position,” the Reds manager mused.

“There were games last season—[Manchester] City away and Villa away—where we did play with an extra midfielder, I think Curtis Jones. It depends not only on being an extra midfielder, but also the tactics and how the opposition line up.”