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The Reds boss Arne Slot has hit out at pundits who “prefer rival teams” for their comments over the club’s transfer window outlay as he prepares to give a first appearance to Swedish striker Isak.

A transfer deadline signing of Swedish striker the Newcastle star from Newcastle for a record-breaking fee of £125 million took the Reds’ investment to £450m on 8 additions.

Isak is scheduled to make his first outing for Liverpool in their UCL group stage game against Atletico at home on Wednesday.

At his before the clash media briefing, the Dutchman highlighted that Liverpool’s unprecedented spending was offset by more than £250 million earned in transfers out, having used just £10 million pounds the prior summer.

“There is so much focus on our new signings, particularly from analysts that are biased toward a few rival clubs in the league that can’t stop speaking about £450 million pounds,” Slot stated.

“Let me say again, £450 million pounds, £450 million pounds! But they ignore about around £300 million pounds that we have sold [players] for. So, yes, if we want to improve the squad we need to invest that much money.”

Slot felt the club “did great deals”, given all eight of their signings are aged twenty-five or under, and the club “ought to get recognition” for the plan it has taken.

“From my perspective it is simply a praise that people remind everyone we have invested so much because that indicates you the players we brought in are viewed as excellent footballers,” noted the coach.

“A number of other teams opt to bring in experienced professionals because they are match-fit, but we think we have brought in individuals who are in their early twenties [and] who are ready.

“From my standpoint all the cash we have invested we earned ourselves by selling, and by winning the Premier League after we failed to buy anybody at all.”

The striker did not feature in Liverpool’s narrow win at the Clarets on Sunday – the opening match since he arrived at the Reds – because he is still short of full fitness.

The forward practiced individually at previous club Newcastle United, in a bid to secure through his move to Anfield, and needs additional work to get match-ready after not participating in pre-season.

Isak's only game this term came for his country in an cameo appearance from the bench in a two-nil defeat by the Kosovo national team last week.

Slot said he is “completely certain” Isak will not play 90 minutes against Atletico Madrid but indicated he will play a role against the Spanish side.

“Isak is part of the team, so it's already a European game to look forward to, but if people hope for his involvement, that could suggest that could occur on Wednesday as well,” the gaffer continued.

“So the time he is ready, match fit, [he] can play the full game, and then the next step is playing three times in a week 90 minutes.

“And that is what he has to do; hitting the back of the net and doing special things in offense is something he will definitely do. The key obstacle he has is to become so sharp that he's above all ready to do what he did last season.”