Arne Slot defends Liverpool summer signing after recent criticism

Liverpool Win Raises Familiar Questions but Slot Shifts Focus

Liverpool’s latest league victory arrived with three points secured and familiar debate following close behind. Questions around summer spending, value for money and consistency resurfaced after the Wolves win, yet Arne Slot was keen to reframe the discussion.

Advertisement

Speaking after the match, the Liverpool head coach urged observers to look beyond headline figures and consider availability rather than ability. Injuries, not recruitment misjudgement, have limited the early impact of several new signings.

“I think a lot has been said by so many people… about the amount of money we’ve spent last summer. No-one talks about what we recouped, because we sold so many.”

Slot’s words were not defensive, but contextual. Liverpool’s rebuild under new management was always designed with balance in mind, both financially and tactically. What Saturday offered was a clearer picture of how those ideas translate on the pitch when key pieces are available.

Jeremie Frimpong Shows What Liverpool Have Missed

If one performance captured that message, it belonged to Jeremie Frimpong. Signed from Bayer Leverkusen for £30m, the Dutch right-back has endured an interrupted start to life at Anfield. Against Wolves, fit and sharp, he reminded everyone why Liverpool moved decisively to bring him in.

Advertisement

Frimpong supplied the assist for Ryan Gravenberch’s opener and played a crucial role in the build-up to the second goal. His pace, directness and willingness to attack space unsettled Wolves throughout.

“Jeremie is a great example: now if he is fit, he can definitely help us… last week he had the assist against Tottenham and today he had a great assist against Wolves.”

That contribution went beyond numbers. It stretched the game horizontally and vertically, forcing Wolves deeper and creating pockets of space Liverpool have too often struggled to access this season.

Photo: IMAGO

Pace as Slot’s Defining Principle

Slot expanded on why Frimpong’s attributes matter so much, particularly against compact defences that aim to deny central areas.

Advertisement

“Pace, that’s what he has and that’s so important and crucial in modern-day football.”

The first goal, as Slot explained, came from “pure individual ability – quick, bam, bam and a cut-back cross.” It was a simple description of a complex problem Liverpool have faced. Breaking down low blocks requires speed of thought and movement, not just possession.

When Frimpong is available, Liverpool attack with greater unpredictability. His willingness to take defenders on offers a different solution to sterile domination, turning control into penetration.

Summer Recruitment Starts to Align

Slot was quick to connect Frimpong’s impact with broader recruitment principles. The Wolves win was not about one player, but about a collective identity beginning to form.

Advertisement

“That’s the pace I always wanted to bring in in the summer, and that’s what we did with Hugo Ekitike, that’s what we did with Jeremie and with Alex as well.”

Ekitike’s role in Florian Wirtz’s goal reinforced that thinking. His movement and composure drew praise from Clinton Morrison, who described the French forward as “outrageous” for the skill involved.

There were still notes of caution. Game management remains a talking point, echoing John Aldridge’s view that Liverpool must learn to close matches more efficiently. Yet the Wolves performance offered something valuable, clarity.

This was a glimpse of Slot’s Liverpool when his ideas are supported by fitness. Frimpong’s pace, previously confined to the treatment room, is now altering the rhythm of Liverpool’s attack. Availability, as Slot suggested, may prove the most important signing of all.