19 hours ago
2
Arne Slot has been cautioned that he faces greater pressure than ever at Liverpool following a $405 million (£300 million) outlay to strengthen a squad that swept to the Premier League title last season.
Slot's fellow Dutchman Wim Kieft, the former international striker who now works as a leading pundit in Holland, believes the expectations at Anfield will climb even higher should the Reds manage to secure a deal for Alexander Isak from Newcastle before the transfer window shuts.
Liverpool have already secured Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong in the club's most expensive recruitment drive to date. Kieft commented: "What Slot did at Liverpool in his first year deserves applause.
"I still think it is wrong to think that Slot's ideas and methods are head and shoulders above the visions of other managers. He has been pumping fresh blood in his team of champions with big-money signings - and he had a decent team!
"If he now succeeds in getting Alexander Isak away from Newcastle, he would have a really great number of additions.
"It must be wonderful for Slot that he is allowed to spend, but bringing in all these big stars means a really big amount of responsibility for him now," reports the Mirror.
"It is clear now that this is no longer the team of Jurgen Klopp. It really is the team of Arne Slot and that allows us to really judge Slot. If he does get Isak, he really will have some team on paper."
Liverpool travels to face Newcastle on Monday night after a summer spent trying to bring the Swede to Anfield. Newcastle have maintained that the striker will not be sold unless his valuation is met in full - and Isak has further frustrated the Toon faithful by refusing to play.
The champions will need to contend with a red-hot St James' Park atmosphere as well as an Eddie Howe side that will be fired up by their manager before kick-off. Liverpool began the defence of their title by defeating Bournemouth last week.
However, it was a display riddled with defensive mistakes and Kieft remains uncertain whether all of the new players that Slot has brought in will prove successful at Anfield.
He continued: "We all saw how it went with Erik ten Hag at Manchester United when he found out that not every big status or big-name player can adapt to English football.
"Of course, Florian Wirtz is a fabulous player who will succeed. But Hugo Ekitike, who they took from Frankfurt, hasn't exactly scored an amount of goals before like Isak, has he?
"Players like him can get a big shock when they get to know the real ferocity of the Premier League."
English (US) ·