Arne Slot hopes contentious Liverpool transfer decision helps in battle to qualify for Champions League

Liverpool manager Arne Slot paid tribute to the victims, survivors and bereaved of the Hillsborough disaster (PA) (PA Wire)

Arne Slot hopes Liverpool’s contentious decision to sign two No 9s will prove smart in the battle to finish inside the top five and secure Champions League football next season.

The Reds spent £450m last summer, with up to £204m on Hugo Ekitike for a fee that could rise to £79m, while Isak cost a club record £125m later in the window from Newcastle.

Despite widespread debate throughout the campaign surrounding Liverpool’s strategy to pool their resources into one area of the pitch, Slot maintains the move to add quality depth up top could prove decisive in salvaging the club’s season after the painful midweek European exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.

“It's a good thing we signed two No 9s,” Slot maintained ahead of this weekend’s Merseyside derby. “A lot of people were debating why we signed two No 9s.

“Now we thought maybe it's a smart idea to not be the only club in the world to have one No 9, that's why we signed two. Now, all of a sudden, it looks good.

“Now people are questioning if we should sign another No 9. He was talking about five, six, seven or eight [signings this summer]. Somebody said the day after [Ekitike’s season-ending injury against PSG], you can't write the script, on the day after Alex is back, his first start, the other one leaves with a long injury.