Liverpool boss Arne Slot thinks people are quick to forget extenuating circumstances when discussing the club’s £450million summer spending spree.
The champions spent a lot of money but Slot says that he has not had access to half of those assets as Alexander Isak and other new boys have spent the majority of their Liverpool careers injured.
Doubling down on similar comments made earlier in the week, Slot said: ‘I have tried 450 times to say we also sold £300m (worth of players in the same window), that never comes across and people NEVER talk about it.
‘In general I only ever see, “£450m spent, 450, 450, 450”. And no one looks at the circumstances, which are that the 450 is very well spent… very, very, VERY well spent, one more time: very well spent.
‘They are great football players which will be a big, big, big success for this club. Some already now and some in the future. The reality of this season is we sold for £300m, some starters like Trent (Alexander-Arnold) sold for only £10m.
‘We had to recoup the money with players. From that spend, then £250m of it (has not been used)… Alex has not been the Alex of Newcastle, maybe 20 minutes at Tottenham, I don’t criticise him because we signed him for six years not six months.
Arne Slot has insisted Liverpool were right to splash out £450million in the summer because of the players they sold
‘Giorgi (Mamardashvili), we needed him because Caoimh (Kelleher) left but we hardly played with two goalkeepers. Jeremie (Frimpong) has been injured, Giovanni (Leoni) out for the season.
‘Tomorrow, I miss out on Florian (Wirtz, who is injured).’
Meanwhile, Slot has also urged for patience with 17-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha, who has been subject to much clamour from fans and media this week after his promising cameo off the bench at Nottingham Forest last week.
It comes at the same time fellow wingers, Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo, have been out of form in front of goal.
Slot said: ‘Let’s be clear, he is a special player that will have more playing time and already has more playing time recently.
‘But for a player that is playing for the Under 19 team of England, if everyone thinks he is so good, then he should be in (in a higher international team).’
The Reds will be without Wirtz for the visit of West Ham but Frimpong is back in the squad after missing the last month with a groin problem.
