Arne Slot reveals Liverpool open to January sales ahead of Mohamed Salah return

Arne Slot has refused to guarantee that all of Liverpool ’s squad will still be at Anfield when the transfer window closes, saying the Premier League champions will consider the right offer.

The head coach believes Liverpool are stretched in both defence and attack, with Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley out for the season and Alexander Isak not expected back until March. However, he insisted they will not panic buy and will only spend if a long-term target is available.

While Slot said Liverpool could go into the transfer market if their injury problems become worse, he revealed that their business model means they could listen to approaches for players.

Winger Federico Chiesa has attracted interest from Juventus and Napoli, while Mohamed Salah plunged his future into doubt with an explosive interview last month. The Egyptian has since returned to contention, playing against Brighton in December, and is in discussions with Liverpool as to whether he will be available to face Marseille on Wednesday or Bournemouth next Saturday.

“I think this club has always shown, similar to bringing players in, that we never say no,” Slot explained. “This club has always shown that if another club makes the right offer, and we think it is the right offer and a good offer – and I don’t include only me, I include the sporting directors and our owners – then we can make a decision we all agree on. But at this moment in time, we are working with the players we have.

“So that is something, you know how this club works, too. Everyone is talking about our £450m spend [last summer] and everyone is forgetting we sold for £300m. And I cannot blame anyone because I think we, Liverpool, are quite an exception to selling. Usually, most Premier League clubs only buy, and that is why it is such an unbelievable accomplishment. It is so well run, this club, so it can perform at the level it has in recent years.”

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot will welcome back Mohamed Salah from the Africa Cup of Nations next week and insisted he would be happy to see the forward (Peter Byrne/PA Wire)

Slot has said that everyone at Anfield is “aligned” on whether to buy in January, as he insisted Liverpool will only move at the time. They are down to six senior defenders and saw a deadline-day move for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi break down in the summer.

He said: “I think we have shown in this window or in the summer how we act. That has been meticulous, a very detailed process that is not done in two weeks but over a long period of time – then we act at the right moment. But if there is an opportunity in the market or if things get even worse, then we can have a different situation.

“That is not to say there is no possibility for us to act because, as you know, this club has always waited for the right moment and never from a position of panic. We always do the right things at the right moment. The one who was here before me had some issues at the back as well in a certain season. If the right player arrives for multiple reasons, no matter what the position in our team – it could be last line, midfield or attack – then we will act. If not, we do it with the players we have.”