Arne Slot explains Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike transfer decision - 'Definitely necessary'

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version or go back to LFC Live.net.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot says it is "definitely necessary" to have two quality options to pick at number nine amid a discourse in some quarters that the Reds have spent too much in one department this summer.

As Arne Slot and Virgil van Dijk, among others, have pointed out, the signings in attack were replacements rather than additions.

Given that there is a doubt over how much Federico Chiesa will actually be involved this season after barely featuring in his debut campaign, there is even an argument that Liverpool could have added one more forward player to ensure it is sufficiently covered.

"Like any other team in this league, every team has two number nines — you could see this with Everton today as well," Slot said after the Merseyside derby.

"We have two number nines of excellent quality, like our competitors have as well.

.

"Now it’s really a good thing because Hugo is definitely not ready, coming from a different league, to play three times 90 minutes in this pace, in the way we play.

"We have a high-intensity game; we constantly try to press

When the ball is out of play, our goalkeeper tries to start the play fast instead of taking a minute.

"It’s a high pace game we try to play and Alex — as we all know now because I said it so many times and I think it was out in the open before as well — has only trained two weeks with the team, which he didn’t do for four months.

"So to have two now is definitely necessary and every top Premier League team has two great number nines — and we do as well."

"This is why the teams that are playing in Europe need a squad like this because you need to play so many games," Slot explained after the 2-1 win over Everton.

"The ones that played three times 90 [minutes] are Virgil, Ibou, Mo, Ryan and Dom — the ones that are used to this intensity and this level