Liverpool
Slot Rejects Criticism of Isak as Liverpool Outline Cautious Integration
Arne Slot defends Alexander Isak’s character and outlines Liverpool’s transfer approach vs Burnley..
Arne Slot has publicly defended Alexander Isak after the striker’s decision to withdraw from Newcastle United duties drew criticism. Speaking ahead of Isak’s potential debut for Liverpool against Burnley on Sunday, Slot argued the Swede’s actions should not be read as a mark on his character and stressed Liverpool would handle the situation differently.
Isak has said Newcastle had “broken” a number of promises made to him, leaving him “no alternative but to try and force a way out of St James’ Park.” The striker’s goal that beat Liverpool and secured Newcastle the Carabao Cup last season also ended a 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy.
Some have accused Isak of breaching the spirit of his contract; others have suggested clubs can exercise too much control over a player’s career and exile those they deem surplus, citing Manchester United’s and Chelsea’s “bomb squad” of unwanted players as examples.
Slot pushed back on judgments of the player’s character. “No [it doesn’t reflect badly], I just look at the club. It’s not necessary at our club, because we also trade players,” Slot said. “If a player wants to leave and we get the right money for him, this club has shown so many years now that we then sell.
“You can just keep on training here – Lucho [Luis Díaz] and Harvey [Elliott] get their transfers , Tyler Morton gets his transfer, all these players, I can come up with eight, nine, 10 I think in the last window, that just conduct themselves in the best possible way.”
Slot confirmed Liverpool will manage Isak’s introduction carefully because the striker lacked training and first-team minutes over the summer, which may prevent him from playing immediately. Still, Slot expressed clear confidence in Isak’s quality. “He is one of the best in the world,” Slot beamed. “But for him to become the best, I think the best players in the world win trophies.
“It [the fee] might put pressure on him and me but nothing extra – if you have this [Liverpool badge] on your shirt there is always pressure,” Slot added. “We target a player and we want to have him. We decide what his value is, if that matches with what the club wants then we are not afraid to act. We get that money from trading players and winning the league after we didn’t spend anything at all.”
Arsenal
Gameweek 4 Preview and Predictions: Derbies, Debuts and a Packed Schedule
Gameweek 4 preview: derbies, Postecoglou’s Forest at Arsenal, and full predictions for fixtures. weekend
The Premier League returns for Gameweek 4 with a compact 36-hour schedule and a handful of fixtures that will attract attention across the weekend. The campaign resumes with a high-profile early kick-off as Postecoglou’s Nottingham Forest visits title hopefuls Arsenal at the Emirates. The new Forest boss begins what promises to be a difficult opening stretch against one of the division’s leading sides.
Several matches fall under the traditional 3 p.m. blackout, including an all-south coast meeting between Bournemouth and Brighton at the Vitality. Both clubs produced strong results before the international break and will be aiming to build early momentum toward a European push.
Aston Villa travel to Everton searching for their first goal of the new season, while an injury-hit Sunderland make their first London trip of 2025–26 to face Crystal Palace. Leeds United head to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham, and Newcastle host Wolves without new signing Yoane Wissa because of injury.
The evening run in the capital features West Ham welcoming Mohammed Kudus back to the London Stadium and Tottenham looking to return to winning ways with Thomas Frank set to deploy Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani. Chelsea make the short trip across west London to Brentford later on Saturday.
Kick-Off Time
12.30 p.m. BST / 7.30 a.m. ET
Arsenal vs. Nottingham Forest
3–1
3 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET
Bournemouth vs. Brighton
1–2
3 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET
Crystal Palace vs. Sunderland
2–0
3 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET
Everton vs. Aston Villa
2–1
3 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET
Fulham vs. Leeds
3–1
3 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET
Newcastle vs. Wolves
2–0
5.30 p.m. BST / 12.30 p.m. ET
West Ham vs. Tottenham
1–2
8 p.m. BST / 2.45 p.m. ET
Brentford vs. Chelsea
1–1
The champions have not yet reached top gear in 2025–26, and Alexander Isak may feature for the first time since his record-breaking move to Liverpool was confirmed on Deadline Day. The Swede appeared briefly over the international break as he works back to full match fitness. Liverpool, having taken maximum points so far, travel to newly promoted Burnley hoping to impose themselves at Turf Moor.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City dazzled in Gameweek 1 but have since lost back-to-back matches. The break was needed and the Cityzens have the chance to reclaim local bragging rights when Manchester United visit on Sunday afternoon.
Aston Villa
Which summer signings could make Premier League debuts in Gameweek 4
Several deadline-day signings could make Premier League debuts in Gameweek 4 on Sept. 13 Watch live
The Premier League returns on Saturday, Sept. 13 after the September international break, and Gameweek 4 could bring a series of first appearances for players who arrived on deadline day. With many newcomers away for World Cup qualifiers and international friendlies immediately after signing, this weekend offers fans an early chance to see them in club colours.
At Liverpool, Alexander Isak is the most high-profile candidate for a league debut. Isak came on for Sweden during the international break in an upset loss to Kosovo. His preseason was disrupted by a standoff with his former club, but manager Arne Slot has suggested the striker is part of a long-term plan and that Liverpool will manage his introduction. Hugo Ekitiké and Cody Gakpo are also in the squad and could influence selection.
Aston Villa completed two deadline arrivals and Unai Emery will be keen to get both Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott on the pitch quickly. Sancho left Manchester United after being peripheral to Ruben Amorim’s plans at United this summer and now has an opportunity to impress his new manager. Elliott departs Liverpool as a Premier League champion and could have extra motivation to prove himself.
Manchester City reshaped the goalkeeper department with the arrivals of Gianluigi Donnarumma, James Trafford and Marcus Bettinelli after Éderson moved to Fenerbahçe. Trafford’s difficult outing against Tottenham Hotspur during the window may have influenced City’s business. Donnarumma could be in line to stake a claim for the number one role, with the Manchester derby a possible debut stage.
Newcastle lost Alexander Isak and brought in Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa late in the window. Wissa scored 19 goals for Brentford last season while Woltemade netted 12 in the Bundesliga for VfB Stuttgart. Eddie Howe also added Anthony Elanga earlier in the summer, giving the club multiple attacking options.
Tottenham Hotspur reshaped their attack with Randal Kolo Muani and Xavi Simons. Kolo Muani can provide cover amid Dominic Solanke’s injury concerns and Simons is expected to play a creative role while James Maddison is set to miss a considerable period.
Below is a brief club-player list mentioned in this piece:
Arsenal: Piero Hincapié
Bournemouth: Veljko Milosavljević
Brentford: Reiss Nelson
Brighton & Hove Albion: Charalampos Kostoulas
Burnley: Florentino Luís
Chelsea: Alejandro Garnacho
Crystal Palace: Christantus Uche
Everton: Tyler Dibling
Fulham: Kevin
Manchester United: Senne Lammens
Nottingham Forest: Oleksandr Zinchenko
Sunderland: Lutsharel Geertruida
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Tolu Arokodare
Liverpool
Wirtz add-ons, payment plan and Liverpool’s record £415m summer outlay
Wirtz add-on clauses, payment schedule and Liverpool’s £415m summer outlay examined briefly. online.
Liverpool’s summer transfer business has left a clear financial footprint, with structured payments and conditional clauses shaping the deals. The club signed Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitiké as part of a window in which Liverpool twice broke the British transfer record.
Reports state an additional £16 million in add-ons tied to the Wirtz transfer will only be paid if Liverpool win the Premier League or Champions League a total of four times combined, The Times report. That condition frames the likelihood of the extra payments being triggered and places them against a high competitive bar.
Sporting director Richard Hughes also opted to spread the initial fee into five equal instalments to mitigate short-term financial pressure on the club. Taken together, those structures reflect a deliberate approach to balancing ambition and cashflow.
Across incoming business, Liverpool spent £415 million in the summer to set a record for total spending in a single window, topping the Chelsea figure set in 2023. Outgoing sales contributed to a net spend reported at £228 million.
On the pitch, Florian Wirtz has experienced a cautious start. The German has yet to register a goal involvement in three appearances and has been deployed solely in the No. 10 role. In that setup Hugo Ekitiké has led the line with Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah positioned to his left and right respectively.
The acquisition of Alexander Isak is presented as further reinforcement for a Liverpool attack that has scored the most goals in the league so far, eight this season. How quickly new arrivals settle and how contractual conditions evolve will determine the long-term financial and sporting impact of what was an expansive summer for the club.
