Liverpool manager Arne Slot has all but confirmed Darwin Nunez's impending transfer to Al Hilal, yet remained tight-lipped on the prospect of Alexander Isak filling the void at Anfield. Despite having already secured the services of Hugo Ekitike for their attack, Isak remains a target for the Premier League champions.
Liverpool's £110million plus add-ons bid was turned down by Newcastle who are keen to sign a replacement if they are to let the Swede leave. Slot, when quizzed about Isak during a pre-match Community Shield press conference, said: "As you know, we never talk about players that aren't yours," he said. "I can talk about Hugo who signed recently.
"We are very happy with the squad we are having. Okay, players left but we brought players in as well and youngsters are doing good. Darwin might leave but things aren't signed yet. We need to wait a few days before things are done."
Isak, meanwhile, missed Newcastle's tour of Asia due to training with his old team Real Sociedad, aiming for peak condition. Back in Newcastle training, he is unlikely to feature in friendlies as per Eddie Howe's standards, which were made clear: "You have to earn the right to train with us.
"We are Newcastle United. The player has a responsibility here to be part of a team and part of a squad - you have to act in the right way.
"So that is also at play here. We will make sure that any player does that to earn the right to train with the group. No player can expect to act poorly and train with the group as normal."
Slot, while not directly addressing rumours about Isak, did reveal a tactical tweak for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations when star forward Mohamed Salah will be unavailable.
He highlighted new recruit Jeremie Frimpong's versatility: "We definitely thought about AFCON. It's partly why we brought in Frimpong because he can play as a right-winger," Slot explained.
"A maximum six games without Mo, but that's a lot in the Premier League. Jeremie can play there but he isn't the only option."
With the Community Shield on the horizon against Crystal Palace at Wembley, Liverpool fans are eager to see their team in action, including new faces like Frimpong, Ekitike, and Florian Wirtz. Slot reflected positively on his squad's pre-season preparations: "Bilbao, Milan and Yokohama already gave us good competition," he said.
"Palace hit the ground running again, it is still the same team. A good challenge for us to start the season."