Arne Slot lifts lid on Liverpool transfer plans as major deal ruled out
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Liverpool boss Arne Slot has explained his transfer thinking ahead of the summer window. Arne Slot was quizzed on Liverpool needing to replace Mohamed Salah (Image: Getty)Arne Slot has revealed that maximising the potential of Alexander Isak will play a key role in shaping Liverpool's search for a replacement for Mohamed Salah.
However, the Sweden international has been plagued by fitness and injury concerns during his debut campaign on Merseyside.Having arrived underprepared due to a lack of pre-season, stemming from the bitter circumstances surrounding his Newcastle departure, Isak sustained a groin injury in October before breaking his leg two months later. Get Liverpool FC news, fixtures, results and transfer gossip plus selected offers and competitions Invalid emailWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you.
Read our Privacy PolicySalah, the club's third-highest goalscorer of all time, will bid farewell at the end of the campaign. Rather than seeking a direct replacement in the transfer market, Slot explained that unlocking Isak's full potential will be a primary consideration.He further indicated that Liverpool will not simply be chasing marquee signings in the summer window, hinting at a return to the shrewd transfer approach that proved so fruitful under Jurgen Klopp."[Getting the most from Isak] is definitely part of thinking about the [Salah] replacement," said Slot."Because since I have been here - and it is the same at a lot of clubs - it is mainly a left footer on the right and a right footer on the left."I have seen Alex scoring also a lot from crosses which were played from the right, right-footed, Trent Alexander-Arnold crosses, if you want to call them like that."So that is definitely part of how we are looking at things, but we try to sign the best possible available player who we can afford."Something else which also happens at certain clubs is: 'OK, that is the best player in the world in that position, let's try and get him.'Alexander Isak has endured a troubled first season on Merseyside (Image: Getty)"That is not how we work, we try and sign the best possible player who is available for us."Salah will bring the curtain down on a glittering Anfield career alongside Andy Robertson this month, with the Reds set to lose two stalwarts who have been instrumental in driving the club's recent triumphs.Slot acknowledged that Liverpool's transition into a new chapter must be finalised during the forthcoming summer window, as the club prepares to bid farewell to two iconic figures.He added: "I think the transition hasn't been completed yet."And by that I mean this cycle, the players that won the Champions League and Premier League with Jurgen [Klopp], I think if you look now, might only be Virgil [van Dijk] and Joe [Gomez] contracted to the club."So, yeah, again this summer, as a minimum of two will leave, so you can say you are at the end of a transition, there's still a transition to be done."We know Hugo [Ekitike] will be out for a long, long time.