Luis Diaz: Liverpool boss Arne Slot shuts down speculation about Colombian, backs him to have 'big impact'
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2024/09/16/image-4414b260-c386-47c6-af98-0a2675a5a091-68-310-310.jpeg)
Published 16/08/2024 at 11:23 GMT+1
Ahead of Liverpool's opening Premier League fixture against Ipswich Town, live on TNT Sports and discovery+, Arne Slot has rubbished rumours linking Luis Diaz away from Anfield. The new Liverpool boss has backed the Colombian to have a big impact in the coming campaign. Slot also denied that his squad were "weaker" from a lack of new signings, despite their failed pursuit of Martin Zubimendi.
‘Working hard to close the gap’ - Slot sets sights on challenging City and Arsenal
Video credit: TNT Sports
Arne Slot has shut down speculation linking Luis Diaz away from Anfield ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League opener against Ipswich.
Slot will take charge of his first competitive game as Liverpool boss against Kieran McKenna’s side on Saturday at 12.30pm, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
And with a lack of transfer activity from the red half of Merseyside, Slot has backed Diaz to have a “big impact” in the new season.
Referring to the wall-to-wall football transfer coverage, Slot said that it was “not a surprise” to hear the Colombian has been the subject of rumours.
“There is a lot of speculation constantly in this country,” said Slot in his pre-match press conference. “That is clear for me. So it’s not a surprise if I hear you saying that it’s also from Luis Diaz.
“Is there any player we don’t talk about? His future is with us, because I like what I’ve seen in the last 10 days that he’s here, and I saw the same last season.
“So he’s had a big impact on Liverpool’s seasons, and I’m hoping that he has a big impact in the upcoming season as well.”
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2024/08/15/4027285-81683353-2560-1440.jpg)
‘There are a lot of similarities’ - Slot sees comparisons between Rotterdam and Liverpool
Video credit: TNT Sports
With the Premier League set to get underway on Friday, Liverpool are the only club in Europe’s top five leagues yet to make a signing this summer.
But Slot was keen to emphasise his belief that Liverpool were not “weaker” with no fresh faces arriving to bolster the squad over the summer.
- Exclusive: Arne Slot on ‘similarities’ to Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, adjusting to Premier League and delivering success
- Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna tells team to 'stay brave' in Premier League ahead of Liverpool opener
Slot said: “That argument I don’t understand – if you don’t strengthen, you become weaker? That’s a bit weird.
“I truly believe you can help on the training ground and improve. It has helped team to improve here.
“Maybe what you mean is if the clubs around you strengthen the team, then maybe they become better.
“But it’s not always true that if you bring in new players, the team becomes stronger. If you keep bringing players in, sometimes the energy in the group goes down as well.”
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2024/08/15/4027188-81681408-2560-1440.jpg)
‘I don’t like to see a boring game’ – Slot on Klopp similarities and adjusting to Premier League
Video credit: TNT Sports
And Slot confirmed that Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi was one player he and new sporting director Richard Hughes targeted to help the squad.
But with Zubimendi opting to remain in Spain, Slot insisted that “things were really good” with the condition of his players ahead of the new campaign.
“Richard [Hughes] and I are trying to strengthen the squad, and if we think we found someone, we try to bring him in.
“Unfortunately, the one we thought could help us said no. In the background, Zubimendi didn’t want to come and Richard tried everything.
“We kept the same team but lost Thiago, Joel [Matip] and Adrian, and you always talk about transfers but we have a positive team already.
“I said already that we’re not changing everything. Actually, we don’t change that much because many things were really good.
“I think it would be perfect if after four or five or six weeks of pre-season, you’re already close to perfection, which is very difficult.”
Liverpool's first match of the new Premier League season against Ipswich town is live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
How to watch Ipswich Town v Liverpool
TNT Sports is available across all major TV platforms, offering a line-up of up to four TV channels (TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 2, TNT Sports 3, TNT Sports 4), and up to six digital or red-button channels (TNT Sports 5 to 10), and TNT Sports Ultimate plus TNT Sports Box Office HD.
Ipswich Town v Liverpool will be live on TNT Sports 1 with coverage from 11:00 UK time on Saturday, August 17 ahead of kick-off at 12:30.
You can subscribe to TNT Sports through discovery+, BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.
To find out where your local establishments showing TNT Sports are, use our Pub Finder tool.
Watch the 2024/25 Premier League season on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Related Topics