Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has put immediate pressure on new Reds coach Arne Slot, asserting that he must find a way to integrate expensive summer signings Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak into the team.
Carragher, now a television pundit, criticized Slot on Sky Sports following Liverpool’s recent 2-1 loss to Manchester United. He expressed frustration that Slot has not yet optimized the performance of the two high-value players.
The combined cost for Wirtz and Isak exceeded $290 million in summer transfer fees. Carragher specifically highlighted the acquisition of Wirtz.
“The idea that Florian Wirtz doesn’t have a place in the starting eleven makes no sense. If you pay $146 million for him, he has to play,” Carragher stated. “You need to find a way for this to work.”
The 47-year-old, who spent his entire playing career with Liverpool, suggested the club’s significant spending has created a challenge for the coach. “The club bought players and gave the coach a problem. When you spend so much money on players, you have to make everything work, you have to find a way to fit them into the team,” he added.
Carragher drew a comparison to Real Madrid’s transfer strategy. He noted that Liverpool, traditionally not big spenders on market-leading talent, acted like the Spanish giants this summer.
“Alexander Isak is for many the best striker currently, and Florian Wirtz the best number 10, which is why they cost so much money,” Carragher explained.
He referenced Real Madrid’s history of acquiring top players and then tasking coaches like Vicente del Bosque or Carlo Ancelotti with integrating them.
“For Liverpool, it was a typical Real Madrid summer in terms of transfer values, and now the coach also needs to be a Real Madrid type in the coming months and make things work,” Carragher concluded. “He has to know how to make the team work well, getting the best out of them.”