Arne Slot might not like hearing it but Liverpool spending question has to be asked

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Arne Slot has been at pains to point out that Liverpool sold several players in the summer, but their big spending can't be ignoredIn Arne Slot’s 19 months as Liverpool manager, the great club and great institution could not have asked for a better ambassador. Because it happened.Yet Slot’s slightly irrational obsession is that we don’t talk enough about how much money was offset by player sales.

But the bottom line is that how much Bayern Munich paid for Luis Diaz or how much some Saudi novices paid for Darwin Nunez, or whatever, does not really matter.Liverpool paid over £400million for a collection of players who have largely struggled - for one reason or another - to make a major impact in the first half of the Premier League season.It doesn't matter who has been sold for how much. Liverpool’s recruitment department valued Florian Wirtz at £116million and, after 23 appearances, he has one goal and five assists.Liverpool’s recruitment department valued Alexander Isak at £125million and he has three goals and one assist in 16 appearances.Liverpool’s recruitment department valued Milos Kerkez at £40million and, in 24 appearances, he has yet to produce an assist.Liverpool’s recruitment department valued Hugo Ekitike at £79million and he has been the most productive, with 11 goals and a couple of assists in his 22 appearances.Liverpool’s recruitment department were happy to pay the £29.5million release clause for Jeremie Frimpong and his assist against Wolves was his first official one in 11 appearances.These are the figures that matter.

How much money has been made by sales is neither here nor there.Why is Manchester United’s recruitment department pilloried? If they are not up to the task, no-one will care - and history will not record - how much Liverpool got paid for the players that made way for them.