Arne Slot claims he has little sympathy for Eddie Howe over Alexander Isak transfer saga

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Liverpool's head coach, magnanimous in defeat, wanted to personally congratulate the Magpies boss on ending a 70-year wait for a domestic trophy after what was a deserved 2-1 triumph at Wembley.

Slot insists that Howe is the only one of his Premier League counterparts that he has reached out to in such a manner and speaking before Monday's visit to St James' Park, the respect for the Magpies boss shines through as the Reds boss previews what is expected to be a typically intense affair in the North East.

"I don't think it's good for me to say what he texted me or I texted him but I think if you heard what I said in the media and what I like about him is what he says in the media, he always tells me and vice versa, so I think they fully deserved to win the League Cup final," Slot says.



That came just days before Liverpool had a £110m bid rejected by Newcastle, with the Reds now understood to be awaiting further encouragement from Tyneside before returning with an improved offer.

Isak, who scored 23 Premier League goals last season, hasn't played a part in any of the club's pre-season friendlies and after being left out of the goalless draw with 10-man Aston Villa last week, the former Real Sociedad man will also be nowhere near the action when the Premier League champions pitch up on Tyneside tonight.

Slot, for all his admiration for Howe, however, does not feel too much sympathy for his opposite number due to the quality of the Newcastle squad.

"In general I have sympathy for Eddie Howe because I think he is a great human being, he is always polite and that is my general feeling about him," Slot says.

For the rest, I don't need to have sympathy for a manager that can still play Harvey Barnes, Anrthony Gordon, Anthony Elanga, Jacob Murphy.

"So you don't need to have sympathy for a manager that has so many good players in his squad but in general, I think I like him and I don't think it will be a surprise to anyone if he eventually leads the national team of England as well.

He is a very good manager.

"To a certain extent [I have sympathy] because I like him as a manager and a person and there is a connection between my sporting director and him as well.

But it is not that we are friends and we are going to go on holiday together or whatever but he is a good manager, he is always very respectful to other managers as well.

I am not even sure if that is what the players and the manager are thinking as well.