Arne Slot, the manager of Liverpool, has given a definitive update regarding their latest acquisition, Alexander Isak, who might make his inaugural appearance for the Reds in their upcoming clash against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday evening.
Isak, who has not yet worn the Liverpool shirt in official competition, completed a record-breaking transfer of £125 million from Newcastle United to Anfield. As he builds up his match fitness, Slot opted to keep the striker out of the squad. However, Isak could feature in the Champions League group stage bout midweek.
During a press conference prior to the match, Slot confirmed the likelihood of Isak featuring, saying, “Definitely a chance because he’s in the squad and the chance to play, I would usually say 99.9% sure, but I can say 100% sure he will not play 90 minutes, but he’s part of the squad.”
He added, “It’s a Champions League fixture to be excited about, and if fans are eagerly awaiting his debut, it’s something that could very well come to fruition tomorrow.”
While discussing the possibility of Isak starting, Slot maintained, “The only thing we’re certain about is that he won’t play the full 90.”
Slot also came to the defence of another Liverpool player, Florian Wirtz, amidst a challenging start to the current season, while highlighting another significant investment by the club. “I attribute [Wirtz’s slow start] to the challenges posed by recent opponents, including Bournemouth, Newcastle, Arsenal, and a resilient side we faced this weekend, a team that only conceded 14 goals last season.”
Slot addressed the considerable focus on Liverpool’s spending, stating, “There’s tremendous attention on our new acquisitions and some pundits in favour of clubs elsewhere tend to endlessly repeat figures like £450m, while overlooking the £300m in player sales.”
“The players we’ve brought in are significant investments, but they are performing alongside others of equivalent value. To fortify the squad, we must spend accordingly. If we were to sell Dominik Szoboszlai tomorrow, he’d be valued at £100m as well.”
He concluded, “When people focus on our expenditure, it underscores the calibre of talent we’ve integrated, which in itself is a commendation.”
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