Arne Slot Shows Sympathy For Howe But Isak Pursuit Is Strictly Business

Arne Slot has said nan sympathy he feels for Eddie Howe complete nan Alexander Isak affair is constricted by nan truth nan Liverpool transportation target is not nan only talented guardant disposable to nan Newcastle manager. Slot revealed Howe is nan 1 Premier League head he has texted during his Liverpool reign and believes nan 47-year-old will yet coach England. Friendly overtures, however, whitethorn not beryllium reciprocated erstwhile Liverpool sojourn St James’ Park connected Monday evening.

Isak will beryllium conspicuous by his absence from Newcastle’s first location crippled of nan season, having successful effect downed devices successful an effort to unit a British grounds transportation to Liverpool. The Premier League champions person contributed to a trying summertime for Newcastle, turning Isak’s caput while besides signing his imaginable replacement, Hugo Ekitiké. Their £110m connection for nan Sweden world remains connected Newcastle’s table.

Slot expects an “intense” nighttime astatine St James’ and, though Liverpool’s pursuit of Isak is strictly business, he recognises nan effect a subordinate going connected onslaught will person had connected his other number. “In wide I person sympathy for Eddie Howe because he is simply a awesome quality being,” said nan Dutchman. “It’s possibly not a coincidence that I’ve texted pinch him because I deliberation he’s a very nice, honorable and polite colleague.

“For nan rest, I don’t request to person sympathy for a head that tin still person nan readiness of Gordon, Murphy, Elanga, Barnes … You don’t request to person sympathy for a head who has truthful galore bully players successful his squad. But, successful general, I for illustration him and I don’t deliberation it will beryllium a astonishment to anyone if yet he is going to lead nan nationalist squad of England.”

Slot and Howe exchanged messages aft the Carabao Cup final successful March, erstwhile Isak scored nan decisive 2nd extremity to unafraid Newcastle’s first home trophy for 70 years astatine Liverpool’s expense. “The only [Premier League] head I’ve ever texted pinch was Eddie Howe,” said Slot. “In Holland I texted pinch a fewer more. I don’t deliberation it is bully for maine to opportunity what he texted maine aliases what I texted him.

“They afloat deserved to triumph nan League Cup final. I didn’t matter him thing different. If I spot him [on Monday] I will beryllium nan aforesaid arsenic I was past play and I expect thing different from him arsenic well.”

Relations whitethorn person been strained betwixt Howe and cardinal figures astatine Anfield by nan transportation saga. Richard Hughes, nan Liverpool sporting head who submitted nan bid for Isak, has been adjacent friends pinch Howe since they shared a level during their playing days astatine Bournemouth. Howe has been friends pinch Michael Edwards, main executive of shot astatine Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool’s owner, since they played for Portsmouth successful nan early 2000s. Edwards worked for Portsmouth astatine nan clip arsenic a Prozone analyst.

Slot, returning to nan taxable of Howe’s predicament, said: “Do you consciousness sympathy? To a definite grade because I for illustration him arsenic a head and arsenic a person. It’s not for illustration we are friends and we are going to spell connected vacation together. You are asking maine these questions because of Isak, of course. I added to that by saying we exchanged messages, nan only head I’ve exchanged messages pinch successful nan Premier League until now. I do speak to different managers aft games. Maybe there’s a logic for that because my sports head has his number. Maybe he doesn’t person each nan numbers of each nan different managers.”

Eddie Howe will beryllium without Liverpool transportation target Alexander Isak for Monday night’s crippled against nan Premier League champions. Photograph: John Walton/PA

What Slot does cognize is that erstwhile he looked astatine Liverpool’s chair aft Bournemouth made it 2-2 astatine Anfield successful nan Premier League’s opening game, his only striking options were Federico Chiesa and 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha. Chiesa delivered successful nan opening Premier League fixture pinch an 88th-minute winner, but purely successful position of numbers compared pinch past play Liverpool’s request for different guardant action is clear aft nan income of Luis Díaz and Darwin Núñez, and nan decease of Diogo Jota.

“It depends really you want to look astatine it,” said Slot. “If you spot Florian Wirtz arsenic an attacking action arsenic well, you tin make it 5 [forwards available]. Yes we’ve sold Darwin, we’ve brought successful Hugo, Luis is gone, but possibly you tin spot Florian arsenic his replacement. Then you person Jeremie Frimpong who, erstwhile he is fit, is decidedly an action to play arsenic a winger arsenic well. So past we extremity up astatine six. We person six players who tin play successful 3 positions.

“I would see Florian successful much games for that position. There were games past play – [Manchester] City distant and Villa distant – wherever we did play pinch an other midfielder, I deliberation Curtis Jones. It depends not only connected being an other midfielder, but besides nan strategies and really nan guidance statement up.” And really nan transportation saga of nan summertime pans retired complete nan adjacent fewer days.