Arne Slot believes Liverpool have conducted “great business” by selling Luis Díaz to Bayern Munich in a bid to offset their summer spending.
The Reds have splashed £295 million ($390.3 million) on transfers this summer, with blockbuster moves for Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitiké draining the club’s funds.
Liverpool could yet make another record transfer approach for wantaway Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, which would take their spending over the £400 million ($529.2 million) mark.
While Liverpool’s penny-pinching summer in 2024 has facilitated their current spree, the reigning Premier League champions have still been eager to recoup funds. The sale of Díaz, who was instrumental in the Reds’ title triumph, has added a healthy chunk to their bank balance after his £65.5 million ($86.7 million) move to Bayern.
Slot has admitted that the club are disappointed to see the talented winger depart Anfield, but the Liverpool manager has revealed that the Colombian’s exit is all “part of the strategy” for the Reds in the transfer market.
“Luis is a player we won the league with and there’s a reason we won it with him because he’s a very good player,” Slot confessed. “It’s always disappointing to see someone like that leave, to a certain extent.
“But on the other hand, we’ve sold him for a lot of money and, as you probably know even better than I do, this football club brings in unbelievable signings over the years, but part of the strategy is also that once in a while we have to sell someone. I think we did great business by bringing in Lucho for a number of years and then selling him for a very good profit.”
While Isak appears to be Liverpool’s next transfer priority, there are now question marks over whether the Reds need to sign a new winger—especially given Federico Chiesa is also expected to leave the club. However, Slot believes he has adequate options on the left flank.
“At this moment in time, we still have Cody Gakpo, Rio [Ngumoha] is showing very good signs, and I think Florian Wirtz can play from the left side as well. There are enough options for me to choose from,” said the Dutchman.
“But as I always say, another thing about Liverpool is that if we see a chance in the market, we never hesitate to bring someone in. In the end, it’s about quality, and we have already made some very good signings. In terms of quality, we are already in the right place.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Great Business’—Arne Slot Responds to Luis Diaz’s Liverpool Exit.