Arne Slot responds to Alexander Isak transfer criticism and sends warning - 'not going to happen'

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Isak completed a controversial move from Newcastle United on deadline day earlier this month having been made to train alone by the Magpies after making clear his desire to switch to Anfield.

Isak failed to feature at all during pre-season and wasn't involved in any of Newcastle's first three games with the club's supporters making clear their displeasure at the Sweden international.

The player's actions were condemned in many other quarters with Newcastle releasing a terse statement when the transfer was eventually completed.



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But Slot said: "In football there is always criticism, sometimes people cheer for you.

"I think when he won the League Cup everyone was really happy with him and in other moments you get criticised.

The thing that pleased me most is us getting the deal for Alex over the line.

"I am really happy Alex signed for us because I did feel all the way we needed an attacking player extra and so happy we could bring in the one we wanted.

"(Liverpool sporting director) Richard (Hughes), the ownership, everyone worked so hard to get the deal done, so it is very good for the club, for the fans, the players, for me that all the work they put in resulted in Alex signing for us."

Isak had his first training session with his new club on Wednesday and will link up with the full Liverpool squad for this first time on Friday ahead of Sunday's Premier League visit to Burnley.

And Slot said: "Maybe people don’t believe me but I haven’t spoken to him that much.

I spoke to him after he signed on the phone as he had to go to the national team and 99% of the time I leave players when they go to the national team so I texted him once or twice.

"I do have to get to know him better in the next weeks.

I faced him a few times and know what a quality player he is."

Isak made his first appearance of any sort since the end of last season when he came off the bench 18 minutes from time during Sweden's shock 2-0 World Cup qualifying defeat in Kosovo on Monday.

Questions were asked in his homeland over the striker's limited action with the player having failed to feature at all in the 2-2 draw at Slovenia three days earlier.

But Slot believes both club and country will have to be careful not to overload Isak as he looks to regain full match sharpness over the coming weeks.

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“Swedish manager Jon Dahl Tomasson deserves a big compliment because he gets one of the best strikers in the world, maybe the best striker in the world, and needs to play two very important but understands if he plays him twice for 90 minutes then probably the players would have been injured for multiple weeks," said the Liverpool boss.

"That is not always easy for a manager that he takes care of the interest of a player.

That’s definitely not going to happen for the next few weeks.

"He missed a proper pre-season.