Liverpool manager Arne Slot admitted his side have missed the quality Luis Díaz brought to the front line, but insisted the Colombian has been adequately replaced.
The Reds have scored 20 Premier League less goals than at this time last season, with their lack of attacking proficiency reflected in the fact they are sixth in the table—a hulking 17 points behind leaders Arsenal.
“You always miss good football players,” Slot said, probed about Díaz’s exit ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Sunderland. “He was so important for us last season, but he wasn’t the only one. There were more players that were influential in our results. But I think we have replaced them with very good players as well.
“It is maybe more fair to say that if Alexander [Isak] had been fit, would we have spoken about it then as well?”
Isak has played just 16 times for Liverpool, netting two Premier League goals in 10 outings, while Díaz has thrived at new club Bayern Munich, registering 18 goals and 14 assists in 30 appearances across all competitions—only Harry Kane has more.
Slot Argues Diaz Departure a Sign of Good Business
Liverpool sold Díaz to Bayern for a healthy profit, attracting an offer of €75 million (£65.5 million, $88 million) from the Bavarian giants. Slot insisted that the deal was “another example of how this club is run,” arguing the offer was too good to pass up.
“If this club gets for a 28-year-old an offer like that then this club, because it is built on sustainability, chooses to sell a player and we are an exception in the Premier League, especially at the top of the Premier League, for that.
“But that is why it is also so nice that we are able to achieve the things we have achieved in the last few years with that model. But he is doing very well at Bayern and that is not a surprise to me.”
Diaz’s output at Bayern is already higher than what he achieved last season at Anfield—in the league and across all competitions—whereas Isak, signed using the money Liverpool accrued from his transfer, scored 23 times in the Premier League for Newcastle United—a figure he will get nowhere near in 2025–26 as he’s now sidelined with a broken leg.
Salah Is Liverpool’s Main Problem—But Ekitiké Is Flying
Liverpool’s success in 2024–25 was a result of the goals being spread around the team. Seven players scored five times or more in the top flight, but only Hugo Ekitiké and Cody Gakpo have done so this season.
The major miss for Liverpool has been the goals of Mohamed Salah, a winner of the Premier League Golden Boot a record four times. He’s only contributed four goals this season and six since in total since he signed contract extension in April—prior to agreeing those fresh terms, Salah had scored 27 goals in the space of seven months.
One positive for Liverpool has been the exceptional form of summer arrival Ekitiké. There were concerns over how the Frenchman would be used by Slot—particularly after Isak’s British record £125 million transfer—but he has taken on the lead role in Liverpool’s front line, netting 15 across all competitions.
His link-up play with Florian Wirtz has been particularly impressive in recent weeks, and there’s every chance he’ll play a prominent role for Didier Deschamps’ France at the 2026 World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada and gets underway on Jun. 11.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arne Slot Rejects Criticism, Insists Liverpool Made Right Decision With Sale.
