Liverpool boss Arne Slot has talked up his relationship with Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe, but stresses he does not need to have sympathy for him over the Alexander Isak situation.
Isak will miss Newcastle United vs Liverpool on Monday night amid huge speculation over his future.
While it looks increasingly likely that Isak stays at Newcastle until January at least, the Premier League champions could reportedly return with another bid after Monday’s game has finished.
The Reds saw an opening offer reportedly worth around £110million earlier this summer and, so far at least, have not returned since.
It has led to some ill-feeling amongst Newcastle and Liverpool supporters online, which will no doubt be translated in the stands at St James’ Park on Monday.
Still, Slot has talked up his relationship with Howe. He did, however, admit he couldn’t have sympathy for him over the Isak saga.
Arne Slot says Newcastle United have too good a squad to feel sorry for
Speaking ahead of Monday’s game, the Dutchman revealed that Howe is in fact the only Premier League manager he texts.
Such is his respect for the Newcastle United manager, Slot has a degree of empathy for him as a person.
“In general I have sympathy for Eddie Howe because he is a great human being, he’s always polite, so that is my general feeling about him,” he said (via The Independent).
“It’s maybe not a coincidence that I’ve texted with him because I think he’s a very nice and honest, polite colleague.”
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Slot later added: “The only [Premier League] manager I’ve ever texted with was Eddie Howe.”
However, he admits that the Newcastle United squad simply boasts too many options even without Isak to feel sorry for.
“For the rest, I don’t need to have sympathy for a manager that can still have the availability of [Anthony] Gordon, [Jacob] Murphy, [Anthony] Elanga, [Harvey] Barnes,” said Slot.
“You don’t need to have sympathy for a manager who has so many good players in his squad.”
Arne Slot has hinted that he wants revenge on Newcastle United
Ahead of the Community Shield before the start of the season, Slot admitted he could not forget what Newcastle did to Liverpool last season.
Howe’s side beat them in the Carabao Cup final of course and the traditional curtain-raiser against Crystal Palace was Liverpool’s first return to Wembley since that famous day in Newcastle history.
“We are making steps forward, but I also didn’t forget that last season I went to Wembley, having to look at Newcastle lifting a trophy,” he said.
“In two weeks we go there again so I hope we show a different face in that final, the Community Shield, than we did in the League Cup final.”
Liverpool, of course, ended up losing to Palace on penalties but head to Newcastle on Monday off the back of a 4-2 win over Bournemouth to begin their Premier League title defence.
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