Pundits Focused On £450m Spend 'favour Other Clubs' - Slot

Liverpool head Arne Slot has criticised pundits who "favour different clubs" for their comments complete nan club's summertime spending arsenic he prepares to springiness a debut to Alexander Isak.

The deadline time signing of Sweden striker Isak from Newcastle for a British grounds interest of £125m took Liverpool's spending to £450m connected 8 players.

Isak is group to make his first quality for nan Reds successful their Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid astatine Anfield connected Wednesday.

At his pre-match news convention Slot pointed retired that Liverpool's unprecedented spending was offset by much than £250m recouped successful sales, having spent conscionable £10m nan erstwhile summer.

"There is truthful overmuch attraction connected our caller signings, particularly from pundits that favour immoderate different clubs successful nan state that cannot extremity talking astir £450m," Slot said.

"I repeat, £450m, £450m! But they hide astir [nearly] £300m that we person sold [players] for. So, yes, if we want to fortify nan squad we request to walk that overmuch money."

Slot felt Liverpool "did awesome business", fixed each 8 of their signings are aged 25 aliases under, and nan nine "should get praise" for nan strategy it has adopted.

"I deliberation it is only a compliment that group show everyone we person spent truthful overmuch because that tells you nan players we brought successful are seen arsenic very bully players," explained nan Dutchman.

"Some different teams for illustration to bring successful 27-year-olds because they are ready, but we deliberation we person brought successful players who are 21, 22 [and] who are ready.

"I deliberation each nan money we person spent we generated ourselves by selling, and by winning nan convention aft we didn't bargain anyone astatine all."

Isak did not characteristic successful Liverpool's 1-0 triumph astatine Burnley connected Sunday - nan first lucifer since he joined nan Reds - because he is still short of lucifer fitness.

The 25-year-old trained unsocial astatine erstwhile nine Newcastle, successful a bid to unit done his move to Anfield, and needs other activity to get up to velocity aft missing pre-season.

Isak's only quality this play came for Sweden successful an 18-minute cameo from nan chair successful a 2-0 conclusion by Kosovo past week.

Slot said he is "100% sure" Isak will not play 90 minutes against Atletico but indicated he will play a portion against nan La Liga side.

"He [Isak] is portion of nan squad, truthful it's already a Champions League crippled to look guardant to, but if group look guardant to his playing time, that could mean that could hap tomorrow arsenic well," Slot added.

"So nan infinitesimal he is fit, lucifer fit, [he] tin play 90, and past nan adjacent measurement is playing 3 times successful a week 90 minutes.

"And that is what he has to do; scoring goals and doing typical things successful onslaught is thing he will 100% do. The main situation he has is to go truthful fresh that he's first of each fresh to do what he did past season."