Arne Slot refused to be drawn on speculation continuing to link Liverpool with a big-money move for Newcastle forward Alexander Isak as the manager declared himself happy with his current squad.
The 25-year-old has been linked with a British transfer record move to Liverpool after failing to feature in Newcastle's pre-season preparations.
Liverpool have reportedly seen a £110 million bid for Isak rejected, with Newcastle apparently asking for £150m.
Isak's future at Newcastle now hangs in the balance after the Swedish striker was reportedly told to train apart from the rest of the squad.
Isak missed the Magpies' trip to Singapore and South Korea, citing a minor thigh injury, and instead flew to Spain to train at former club Real Sociedad. He has since returned to Tyneside.
Premier League champions Liverpool have invested huge sums in the market this summer with a club-record deal for midfielder Florian Wirtz headlining a group of new signings that also includes forward Hugo Ekitike, left-back Milos Kerkez and right-back Jeremie Frimpong.
But they have continued to pursue Isak as they seek a replacement for Darwin Nunez who is closing in on a £46m move to Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal.
Asked about Isak on Friday, Slot said: “As you know, from me and I think every manager works like this, you never talk about players that are not yours. I can talk about Hugo, who we have signed and who has done really well until now.
“We are very happy with the squad and have every reason to be happy because we won the league last season. OK, players left but we brought players in as well and youngsters are doing good.
“At this moment of time, Darwin might leave, indeed, but things are not signed so we need to wait a few days until that is completely done but there is indeed a chance he is going to leave.”
Liverpool's spending spree of almost £300m has not included a central defender despite the sale of Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen.
During pre-season midfielders Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo, as well as full-backs Andrew Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas, have all filled in. But Slot does not see it as a lack of depth.
“Unfortunately, (Joe Gomez) has a minor injury at the moment but he will be back with the team very soon,” he said.
“We have numerous options who can play there. But as always, it's the same boring answer as players we may bring in or not, I am really happy with the players we have.”
Slot is preoccupied with other tasks as well. Liverpool take on FA Cup winners Crystal Palace in the Community Shield on Sunday before beginning their Premier League title defence against Bournemouth at Anfield the following weekend.
Liverpool are eyeing a 17th Community Shield title, with their latest coming in 2022.
“It's nice if you can start the season by winning something. We have a chance at the beginning of the season. We face a difficult Crystal Palace side. They have shown how hard it is to win a one-off game with them,” Slot said.
And while the focus is on new signings, one player who has grabbed the limelight during pre-season has been 16-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha, who has registered three goals and two assists this summer with some eye-catching efforts – the most recent coming against Athletic Bilbao on Monday.
“That is sometimes also difficult and you never know how an individual handles the situation,” Slot said.
“A year ago, Trey Nyoni scored a goal against Sevilla when he was 17, very young. They have an incredible chance to work and be around players like Virgil van Dijk, Mo Salah and all these incredible players every day and see what they do to be ready to perform every three days …
“It's been a promising start for him and Trey Nyoni because Trey also played a very good game at Anfield four days ago.”
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
Travel distance: Limited
Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
Duration: Can linger for days
Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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