Liverpool “Are a Trading Club,” Claims Arne Slot

Arne Slot has claimed Liverpool are a “trading club” and this could determine what signings they can make in the summer.

As the current Premier League champions – yes, we can still just about lay claim to that – Liverpool have been incredibly underwhelming in their title defence.

As well as the tragic loss of Diogo Jota last year, there were big changes at the club as eight league winners left and the club signed eight players.

Speaking ahead of this summer’s transfer window, Slot thinks Liverpool will bring players in but accepted the Reds’ apparent position as a “trading club.”

The head coach said: “Last summer we made quite a lot of signings and that is why we traded so much.

“In the four windows I’m here now we’ve had a net spend of £150 million and that says what kind of club we are.

“We know Robbo and Mo are going to leave so that means changing two players, but we also know Kostas Tsimikas comes back.

“So the first aim is to see how we are acting in the position of Mo, if we want to replace him with a similar player or if we are going to do that differently.

“For the rest, I don’t think at this moment in time there is a chance of other players leaving. Of course, there is the Ibou (Konate) contract situation.

“I don’t think in numbers (of how many players we need), I think of areas. We already know some players are going to leave. Let’s see what happens in the summer.

“You know we are a trading club, so let’s first see what is actually going to happen in the summer then we know better what to bring in.

“There might not be such a big need of trading a lot if we don’t need to bring a lot of players in.”

Slot’s comments about Liverpool being a trading club, whatever that means, are a little odd given every football club buys and sells players.

Liverpool’s ‘trading’ under Slot

Last summer, Liverpool spent about £446 million on new players but sold £216 million worth of talent, culminating in a net spend of £230m.

The Reds’ approach to the transfer market under FSG hasn’t necessarily been ‘sell-to-buy’, though. It has been more a case of buying for good value.

Even the acquisitions of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz for British record fees last summer will have been weighed up as ultimately being necessary in order to compete beyond Mo Salah.

Also, at 26 years old and 22 years old respectively, Isak and Wirtz could still hold sell-on value, the German especially, if they do decide to leave before their prime is over.

Where Slot is right is that while other clubs can pour money in through external sources, though PSR rules have limited this splurging to some extent, Liverpool cannot.

However, the money made by Liverpool is put back into the club and the Reds recorded the highest revenues in the Premier League last season (over £700m), making £8m in profit after tax.

Though the club can’t afford to waste money in the market, suggesting they need to sell to buy isn’t quite accurate and shouldn’t be used as an excuse.

“Big change” at Liverpool 2 key departures

With all this in mind, Slot was asked if he would like to see more change at Liverpool this summer.

He told Sky Sports: “I don’t think in numbers but it’s clear that these two are leaving, Mo and Robbo.

“So yeah, that already means change and quite a big change, because these two have been so influential over the last nine years at his club.

“But at this moment in time my main focus is on the derby game coming and the games coming and, as is normal in football, the mid to long term is done by the sporting director.

“And of course we are in talks, but my main focus is on the derby result because we want to qualify for the Champions League next season.”

If the Reds don’t qualify for the Champions League, they would suffer a big hit financially and Slot could actually end up being right in that Liverpool would need to ‘trade’ in the market.