Good afternoon and welcome to the ECHO'S live coverage of Arne Slot's latest press conference. The Liverpool head coach will be in front of the media to preview what promises to be an eventful Premier League encounter on Monday night at St James' Park, with Newcastle United the hosts.
Much of the build-up - and many of the questions today - is set to be focused on Alexander Isak. The Sweden international is currently refusing to play for the Magpies after a bid from [Liverpool](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/all-about/liverpool-fc) was rejected earlier this month.
On Tuesday night, Isak put out a statement on his Instagram account making it clear that he was keen to leave Newcastle this summer. He believes promises to him have been broken and there is subsequently no way back for him at the club.
The Magpies responded with their own statement and denied those claims. They also suggested a deal could still be done for the player if their valuation - reported to be £150million - is reached by Liverpool and a replacement for Isak can be acquired.
Despite the ongoing drama, [Slot](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/all-about/arne-slot) will no doubt be keen to focus on footballing matters and Monday is a huge game for Liverpool. Although Newcastle will not be able to call on Isak for the game, the atmosphere is set to be white-hot for the visit of the Reds.
Liverpool started the season with a 4-2 win over Bournemouth on Friday and while they showcased some blistering attacking play, there were gaps in defence that Newcastle will be hopeful of exploiting.
The press conference will start at 2.30pm (BST) on Thursday, with Paul Gorst and Ian Doyle in attendance at the AXA Training Centre. Stick with us for build-up, live updates and reaction to what Slot has to say.
13:52Ian Doyle
Welcome from the AXA Training Centre here in Kirkby.
It's a well-attended media conference already with journalists keen to probe Slot in person.
There's plenty to talk about.
**Let's do this!**
09:15Matt C Jones
Good afternoon everyone and welcome to coverage of the latest Arne Slot press conference.
While the clash between Newcastle and Liverpool on Monday is supposed to be the focus for this one, one man is likely to dominate the conversation.
Will Slot have anything to say about the Alexander Isak transfer saga? Let's find out together...