Arne Slot makes Alexander Isak decision and hits back at Liverpool critics

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has confirmed that Alexander Isak is in line to make his Reds debut in the Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night

Arne Slot reckons Alexander Isak is primed to make his eagerly-anticipated Liverpool deubt – while defending the Reds’ eye-watering £450m summer splurge. Isak, a £125m deadline day capture from Newcastle United, could feature when Slot’s men kick off their Champions League campaign against La Liga outfit Atletico Madrid at Anfield on Wednesday night.

The striker sat out Sunday’s Premier League triumph at Burnley to focus on his conditioning after managing just one fleeting appearance for Sweden since last season concluded.

And Slot revealed: “There is definitely a chance (Isak will play) because he is in the squad. I can say it is 100% sure he will not play 90 minutes.

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“Can he start? The only thing that is sure is that he will not play 90, and all the rest we will see.”, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Isak boasts only six previous Champions League outings across spells with former clubs Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle.

When quizzed about the biggest hurdle now confronting the big-money forward, Slot continued: “Getting fit after missing four months of proper team sessions.

“He doesn’t have to prove to anyone he is good enough to play in the Premier League because that is what he has proven already at Newcastle.

“He has to become so fit that he is first of all ready to do what he did last season. Then he can play 90, then the next step is playing three times in a week and then the next step is going one step further in terms of pressing.

“Scoring goals and doing special things in attack is something he will 100% do.”

Isak was the star signing in a major squad revamp that also saw Liverpool splash out on £116m on attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz, £79m on striker Hugo Ekitike, £40m on left-back Milos Kerkez, £29m on right-back Jeremie Frimpong and £26m on centre-back Giovanni Leoni.

Despite the hefty spending attracting plenty of attention, Reds boss Slot insists the club’s ability to recoup over half their expenditure through player sales is being ignored.

“There’s so much focus on our new signings, especially pundits who favour not us but some other clubs in the country that cannot stop talking about £450m, I repeat £450m, I repeat £450m, but they always forget the millions that we’ve sold for,” said the Liverpool manager.

“These players we have brought in together with players that are worth the same amount of money. So, yes, if we want to strength the squad we need to spend that much money. If we sell Dominik Szoboszlai tomorrow he would be worth £100m as well.

“I am partly responsible for bringing players in as well with other people. I think we did great business, we brought in great players and to add to that, we have already lowered the age of the players.

“Some other teams prefer to bring in 27-year-olds because they are ready but we think we have brought in players who are 21 or 22 who are ready.

“And then if they are still with you in four or five years, we can sell Luis Diaz for £65m. But it is harder to sell him for £65m if he is already 32. That is our model and I think we should get praise.

“It is only a compliment that people tell everyone we have spent so much because that tells you the players we brought in are seen as very good players.

“All the money we have spent we generated ourselves by selling and by winning the league.”

Wirtz in particular has faced scrutiny following a sluggish beginning to his Anfield career, with the 22-year-old Germany international yet to feature for a complete 90 minutes.

However, Slot remarked: “There is so much focus on Florian, but the ones that have stayed behind as part of a team haven’t scored four goals or got 12 assists either.

“He is part for team that is top of the league, that won against Newcastle and Arsenal, where the team of last season didn’t win. He is part of a team that is number one in the league at the moment.”

Alexis Mac Allister has bounced back from the ankle problem that saw him withdrawn at the interval during the Burnley clash, though Curtis Jones continues his absence after sustaining an injury last month in the Arsenal fixture.

“Curtis will train with the team tomorrow so hopefully he is able to be in the squad on Saturday,” said Slot on Tuesday.

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