Arne Slot insists that Liverpool has the firepower to defend their Premier League title, even if they fail to land Prime -Wit Alexander Isak.
Liverpool is aware that they will go on their way to the Leeuwenkuil in St James's Park and Slot is braced to feel the full anger of the local population, who have been furious due to the determination of Isak to leave after the champions had rejected an offer of £ 110 million.
It is still too considering whether Liverpool will return with a new bid before the window closes – although it must certainly be excluded – but, regardless of how this is playing, Slot is convinced that he will have enough striking options to get his team through.
That observation will increase the eyebrows of some observers, who believe that an injury to Hugo Etikite, Mo Salah or Cody Gakpo would have been destroyed – that is without even mentioning that Salah could miss seven games when he goes to the African Cup of Nations.
Slot, however, is certain that he can make things work and has pointed to the arrival of Florian Wirtz, who has the ability to play as 'false nine' and in other attacking positions, as transformational for Liverpool.
“It depends on how you want to look at it,” said Slot. 'If you want to add Florian Wirtz as an attacking option, you can make five of them, so yes, we have sold Darwin (Nunez) and brought Hugo in. Lucho is gone, you might see Florian as a replacement for that.
'Yes, we all know what happened to Diogo (Jota). If you look at it like that, we may not be able to (have enough), but Jeremie Frimpong, if he is fit, is definitely an option to play as a winger, so we end up at six ahead! '
It will be interesting to see how Slot Wirtz deployment, because there were times during his Premier League debut against Bournemouth when he looked like a man trying to cross a highway: his quality is clear, but the pace of the game had chased him.
“I would consider him for more games in that (false nine) position,” Concluding Slot, who debates whether Joe Gomez should be used on right back for the Hamstrung Frimpong, confirmed. 'But last season there were matches – Man City and Aston Villa gone – where we played with an extra midfielder such as Curtis Jones.
'But it not only depends on bringing in an extra midfielder, but it depends on tactics, how they stand in line, all these kinds of things. He is already an option to play as a left wing and he can be an option for the coming game. Cody also played a good match against Bournemouth. '
It is understandable that, given the tense relationship between the clubs, the entire summer is aimed around the subject of Isak. In some respects he has sympathy for Eddie Howe, his counterpart from whom he expects one day, will manage England, but also recognizes the threat that Newcastle Pose.
“It was very intense the last time we played there,” said Slot.
'And it is always when they play at home, let alone an evening game, it is always so, so, so intense. So I'm not sure if this is an extra reason for them. I am not even sure if that is what the players and the manager think.
'Social media and people write a lot, but is this really what the players and the manager think? I don't know, I have no idea. What I do know is that we come across a very, very good team and that is even more difficult than playing in that stadium, with their fans.
“I have sympathy for Eddie. I think he is a great person, he is always polite and that is my general feeling about him. It may not be a coincidence that I sent him an SMS because he is a very honest and polite colleague.
“For the rest, I don't have to have a sympathy for a manager who can still play Harvey Barnes, Anthony Gordon, Anthony Elanga, Jacob Murphy.”