Arne Slot has admitted Liverpool are favourites to win the Premier League this season – but insists their title credentials should not be judged purely on the money they have spent.
The Reds have invested heavily in the summer transfer window, with spending approaching £300million and further signings expected.
However, the defending champions have also generated close to £150million from player sales, with more departures likely before the transfer window closes.
The Liverpool boss said: “If you won it last season it’s quite normal that you are part of the favourites again for next season.
“For me it would not be normal if it’s about spending, because the net spend of us compared to the other teams is not in our favour, if you look at the last two seasons.
“But it’s completely normal that we are one of the favourites, because we won it last season. And we brought in good players, like all the other ones did, by the way.”
Liverpool spent just £10m on Federico Chiesa last summer but are now set to break the British transfer record with a £116m move for Florian Wirtz, while Alexander Isak would cost at least £120m.
Arsenal have spent nearly £200m with only £9m recouped, Manchester United’s signing of Benjamin Sesko will push them to £200m with no sales, Manchester City have spent £151m and made £42m, and Chelsea have spent over £200m while raising more than £100m.
Slot added: “This is the Premier League, this is what makes this league so nice. I think there’s only been one exception [who didn’t spend big] in the last two, three, four, five, six years, and that’s been Liverpool last season.
“Sunderland is spending money as if they… They have a lot of money, of course, because they’re promoted. So that is what happens in the Premier League, that’s why it is such a nice league.
“So if we are only favourites because we’ve spent a bit, I would see that as weird, because we’ve lost a lot as well.
“But that we are favourites because we won it last season and we played so well, that’s clear. And the ambitions haven’t changed, because the ambition of this club is always to compete for every trophy.
“So that hasn’t changed compared to last season. Not because we lost players and not because we brought players in. The ambitions are always the same at this club.”
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