Arne Slot admits Liverpool missed out on new signing on transfer deadline day

Arne Slot

Arne Slot says Liverpool missed out on signing Lutsharel Geertruida before the close of the January transfer window on Monday evening, admitting he did want to strengthen his squad.

But the Reds boss insists he harbours no frustration over the club's failure to bolster his ranks as he now plots qualification to the Champions League without the reinforcements he craved.

After January injuries to Conor Bradley, Joe Gomez and Jeremie Frimpong further weakened a defensive department also without Giovanni Leoni, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury in September, the Premier Leaguechampions attempt to bring in cover in the shape of Geertruida, who was Slot's captain at Feyenoord.

However, a deal for the Netherlands international, who is on loan at Sunderland from RB Leipzig, proved too difficult to do that late in the window and by Sunday evening, Liverpool had accepted defeat and moved on from the versatile Geertruida.

The Reds eventually struck a £60m agreementwith Rennes to sign 20-year-old Jeremy Jacquet on Monday, fending off strong interest from Chelsea in the process

while Slot is delighted to sign the young Frenchman, who will link up with his new colleagues from July 1, he also conceded he wanted additions for the rest of a campaign that sees them head into the weekend's visit from Manchester City in sixth.

Slot

"I think I've said that we've tried to strengthen the squad, so that probably tells you [I wanted players] and I don't think I was the only one who wanted that,"

“But it's always about availability and the right player.

“We do have discussions about what is good for the short and for the long term of the club and now, for example, Jeremy Jacquet wasn't available for the winter, but he was for the summer.

"We've made a decision to sign him because we think he's a really good signing for the future of this club.

“I'm very happy with the squad. Let that be clear. But it's all clear and obvious, that we have three long-term injuries (Bradley, Leoni, Alexander Isak).

"That's why we've tried to strengthen the squad in winter break and the player you mentioned (Geertruida), in the end, wasn't available. But we've tried to strengthen the squad - that is clear.

“And that tells you that we think that it would have helped us. But it should be possible that we're not gonna sign players that are not good enough to play for this club."

Despite wanting more options to work with between now and May, however, Slot says he understands the constraints he works under at Anfield, adding: "I have always worked the same.

Slot adds

"I always want the best for the club. Of course sometimes there is interest from an individual, could be a player or manager.

“But I always want the best for the club even if in the short term it is not ideal for me. I am not saying it is but if it means this, I would always go for the signing that is best for the club. I knew which club I went into, this club has a model of signing talented players younger.

"I have always liked to work in that way. I am also the head coach and not the manager, I prefer this because the amount of work you have to do as a head coach is so much, I wonder how people could have done those two jobs.

"I don’t have time to watch 10 live games of a new player coming in and if I do, I cannot have time to do my job as a head coach as I am doing now."

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