Arne Slot launches passionate defence of Liverpool transfers and makes £450m claim

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Echo or go back to LFC Live.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has addressed what 'people never talk about' the club's record-breaking summer of spendingArne Slot has launched an impassioned defence of Liverpool's spending - insisting he hasn't been able to properly utilise many of the players who cost a combined £450m.And the Reds boss once more reiterated his belief that discussions about the summer transfer window lack sufficient focus on the players the club sold and the money subsequently raised.The window saw Liverpool commit the most in fees ever - breaking their transfer record twice to land the £116m Florian Wirtz and the £125m Alexander Isak, who moved from Newcastle United on deadline day for a British-record fee.READ MORE: Liverpool smash through £700m barrier as accounts show huge turnaroundREAD MORE: Arne Slot sends clear message to Mohamed Salah and Liverpool forwards - 'this has happened before'Milos Kerkez (£40m, Bournemouth), Jeremie Frimpong (£29m Bayer Leverkusen), Giovanni Leoni (£27m, Parma) and Giorgi Mamardashvili (£29m, Valencia) were also brought to the club alongside Hugo Ekitike, who cost £79m from Eintracht Frankfurt.To offset the ambitious period of player trading, the Reds brought in about half that amount through sales.However, the £35m fee agreed with Aston Villa for Harvey Elliott may not yet be paid as the purchase is triggered only after the midfielder makes 10 Premier League appearances.Slot outlined several reasons why he hasn't been able to use his summer recruits as Liverpool prepare to host West Ham United at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.The Dutchman says that Isak's leg break suffered in December at Tottenham Hotspur, successive injury issues for Frimpong, and Leoni's campaign-ending ACL issue have all contributed."I have tried 450 times to say we also sold for £300m, that never comes across and people never talk about it," Slot said."In general I only ever see, '£450m spent, 450, 450, 450'. The reality of this season is we sold for £300m, some starters like Trent Alexander-Arnold sold for only £10m (to Real Madrid).

We had to recoup the money with players."Slot added: "From that spent, then £250m of it. Alex Isak has not been the Alex of Newcastle, maybe for 20 minutes at Tottenham, I don’t criticise him because we signed him for six years not six months."Giorgi Mamardashvili, we needed him because Caoimhin Kelleher left but we hardly played with two goalkeepers."Jeremie Frimpong has been many times injured, Giovanni Leoni is out for the season.

Him and Hugo Ekitike and Milos Kerkez needed time to adapt."Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings.