Liverpool spent record sums in the summer on transfers but Arne Slot insists their quality arrivals need time to bed in and will eventually come good at Anfield
Liverpool and Arne Slot are still looking to get the best from Florian Wirtz
Liverpool and Arne Slot are still looking to get the best from Florian Wirtz
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(Image: PA)
Arne Slot is adamant that Liverpool's summer arrivals will come good and said "if I do my job well, they will play better football the longer they are here", with the Reds seemingly on an upward curve once more.
Liverpool invested £449million in the summer in a recruitment drive that saw them break the British-record transfer fee twice within a matter of weeks. Florian Wirtz arrived from Bayer Leverkusen before Alexander Isak joined from Newcastle.
It left Slot with an embarrassment of riches as Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Giovanni Leoni also became Liverpool players. An impressive early start soon faltered and the Reds lost six out of seven games and slid out of title contention.
Criticism has been levelled at several of their new arrivals. Isak has looked a shadow of the player who lit things up at Newcastle. He's now injured and facing a prolonged spell on the sidelines. Wirtz, meanwhile, took months to register any goal involvement amid much debate over how to best use him.
But Slot insists the longer the players have together and the more time he gets to work with them - the better they will be. He said: "If you bring in a lot of new players and a lot of players leave, usually at least if I do my job well, they will play better football the longer they are here and when they have more training time and playing time.
"You saw this last season because that team was here the year before all the same with Jürgen [Klopp]. In the first half of last season we played very good football. That is helpful.
"History has shown many times the longer players play together the bigger chance you have of winning something. If you add players to what you have, there is a serious chance of improving. If you replace, like we have done, then it takes time. And usually it gets better after a certain period of time.
Alexander Isak has struggled since his record move
Alexander Isak has struggled since his record move(Image: 2025 Visionhaus)
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"Unfortunately Giovanni Leoni we won't see him this season and Alex [Isak] will take a long time before we see him again. You can do the numbers of how much money that is, combined with how much we have sold, that is maybe an interesting story to make."
Ekitike has proved to be the biggest success story of the summer. He's top scored for the club thus far, but the influx of new arrivals has meant he's had to be moved from his best position or even left out of the starting XI.
Liverpool have begun to rediscover their best form and have won four of their last six to leap back into the top four, but they remain 13 points off the summit.
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