Arne Slot recognises another talkSPORT listener as he answers question on record transfer haul

Game recognises game. Answering a question from a Spanish journalist in his pre-match press conference ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League game against Atletico Madrid, Reds manager Arne Slot identified another potential talkSPORT listener. Slot listened to the journalist’s question about their transfer spending through a translator and had fun with his responseGetty The Dutchman revealed to talkSPORT at the start of the season that he is one of the millions of listeners, singling out Ally McCoist and Alan Brazil on the Breakfast show as one of the times he listens. “I’d listen, especially with my former car, because that was in the playlist. I have to get it again. “It helps me with my vocabulary and there are one or two good pundits as well. It’s nice to listen to them, [Alan and Ally] by the way. Their humour is quite nice.” What did Arne Slot say in his press conference? After being asked about Liverpool‘s summer spending, a laughing Slot said: “He’s been listening to talkSPORT a lot. “Because he was saying we’ve spent so much money, and it didn’t come to him that we’ve sold players for £300million.” Slot was referencing Liverpool’s record transfer overhaul – the most of any club in history in a single window. It dominated the conversation during the transfer window, with talkSPORT leading the discussion and host Simon Jordan backing up the point made by Slot. The Reds splashed out £446million on new signings, including breaking the British record twice on Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz. However, as the manager pointed out, the money to buy additional firepower doesn’t just grow on trees. There were also notable player exits, including big-money fees for Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz. That meant Liverpool’s net fee was much lower than the outlay, and having only bought Federico Chiesa last year they were still able to win the Premier League. What else did Slot say? Specifically on that point made by the Spanish journalist that led to the talkSPORT comment, Slot provided his answer. Slot was in good spirits throughout the press conference and told one journalist his question reminded him of a conversation he had heard on talkSPORTGetty “I think 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. “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 have brought in players who are 21, 22 who are ready. “And then if they are still with you in four or five years, we can sell [someone like 28-year-old] 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. I think all the money we have spent we generated ourselves by selling and by winning the league after we didn’t buy anyone at all. “If you win the league that is quite good financially as well. Those two situations led to the fact that we could spend £450m. It’s not like we looked in the ground and saw there was money coming up. Liverpool won the league under Slot when they spent very littleGetty Isak arrived from Newcastle for £125m as part of a spending spree that was north of £400mAFP “We have generated ourselves and that is a big compliment for the model we have and for the quality players we have brought in that everybody is only talking about the £450million.” What do the Liverpool squad think of the new players? Club captain Virgil van Dijk talked up £125m man Isak, who could make his debut at Anfield. Van Dijk said his quality was clear from day one. “Obviously the quality he’s been showing already since the first session. “Only positives and off the pitch as well, we’re having conversations – I spoke to him during the international break once everything was sorted. “It’s now about getting him as fit as possible and to understand each one of us as quickly as possible. How we train, how we press, our set pieces, so it’s been a good week for him and let’s see [on Wednesday]. Van Dijk used his pre-match press conference to talk up the quality of both Isak and EkitikeGetty Simeone is a big fan of Slot’s style of play and is looking forward to testing himself at AnfieldGetty “He is a clinical finisher. If you look at his finishing skills – heading, left foot, top corners – he’s the complete striker at the moment. “You can say the same for Hugo [Ekitike]. They’re a little bit different but not so much, they’re very comfortable on the ball with link-up play, they have pace and that’s what’s being asked of for the modern-day striker. “Both are a handful and that’s obviously good that they’re on my side now.” What is the view in Spain? Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone is a big fan of the Liverpool side. He said in

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Arne Slot recognises another talkSPORT listener as he answers question on record transfer haul

Game recognises game.

Answering a question from a Spanish journalist in his pre-match press conference ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League game against Atletico Madrid, Reds manager Arne Slot identified another potential talkSPORT listener.

Slot listened to the journalist’s question about their transfer spending through a translator and had fun with his response

The Dutchman revealed to talkSPORT at the start of the season that he is one of the millions of listeners, singling out Ally McCoist and Alan Brazil on the Breakfast show as one of the times he listens.

“I’d listen, especially with my former car, because that was in the playlist. I have to get it again.

“It helps me with my vocabulary and there are one or two good pundits as well. It’s nice to listen to them, [Alan and Ally] by the way. Their humour is quite nice.”

What did Arne Slot say in his press conference?

After being asked about Liverpool‘s summer spending, a laughing Slot said: “He’s been listening to talkSPORT a lot.

“Because he was saying we’ve spent so much money, and it didn’t come to him that we’ve sold players for £300million.”

Slot was referencing Liverpool’s record transfer overhaul – the most of any club in history in a single window. It dominated the conversation during the transfer window, with talkSPORT leading the discussion and host Simon Jordan backing up the point made by Slot.

The Reds splashed out £446million on new signings, including breaking the British record twice on Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz.

However, as the manager pointed out, the money to buy additional firepower doesn’t just grow on trees. There were also notable player exits, including big-money fees for Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz.

That meant Liverpool’s net fee was much lower than the outlay, and having only bought Federico Chiesa last year they were still able to win the Premier League.

What else did Slot say?

Specifically on that point made by the Spanish journalist that led to the talkSPORT comment, Slot provided his answer.

Slot was in good spirits throughout the press conference and told one journalist his question reminded him of a conversation he had heard on talkSPORT

“I think 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.

“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 have brought in players who are 21, 22 who are ready.

“And then if they are still with you in four or five years, we can sell [someone like 28-year-old] 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. I think all the money we have spent we generated ourselves by selling and by winning the league after we didn’t buy anyone at all.

“If you win the league that is quite good financially as well. Those two situations led to the fact that we could spend £450m. It’s not like we looked in the ground and saw there was money coming up.

Liverpool won the league under Slot when they spent very little

Isak arrived from Newcastle for £125m as part of a spending spree that was north of £400m

“We have generated ourselves and that is a big compliment for the model we have and for the quality players we have brought in that everybody is only talking about the £450million.”

What do the Liverpool squad think of the new players?

Club captain Virgil van Dijk talked up £125m man Isak, who could make his debut at Anfield.

Van Dijk said his quality was clear from day one.

“Obviously the quality he’s been showing already since the first session.

“Only positives and off the pitch as well, we’re having conversations – I spoke to him during the international break once everything was sorted.

“It’s now about getting him as fit as possible and to understand each one of us as quickly as possible. How we train, how we press, our set pieces, so it’s been a good week for him and let’s see [on Wednesday].

Van Dijk used his pre-match press conference to talk up the quality of both Isak and Ekitike

Simeone is a big fan of Slot’s style of play and is looking forward to testing himself at Anfield

“He is a clinical finisher. If you look at his finishing skills – heading, left foot, top corners – he’s the complete striker at the moment.

“You can say the same for Hugo [Ekitike]. They’re a little bit different but not so much, they’re very comfortable on the ball with link-up play, they have pace and that’s what’s being asked of for the modern-day striker.

“Both are a handful and that’s obviously good that they’re on my side now.”

What is the view in Spain?

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone is a big fan of the Liverpool side.

He said in his pre-match press conference: “They are direct, they have very quick transitions, they interpret the game in a very simple way to get players into the box, they use their wide players and they have a wonderful centre-back who can knock the ball around.

“This simplicity of the game is something that maybe some people don’t see, how hard they work, how good their footballers are and their manager did wonderful, extraordinary things last season.

“We will face a tough opponent but we have the intention of bringing the game to where we want it to go. I am looking at getting better, playing a fantastic opponent in a stadium I love.

“We will try to hurt them in the game whenever we can.”