Liverpool boss changed system to avoid battle with Newcastle United 'target' described as 'one of the best'
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot made a bold admission over a reported Newcastle United transfer target.
Arne Slot singled out a reported Newcastle United transfer target for special praise after Liverpool claimed a 4-0 home win against Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night.
The former Feyenoord head coach has made an eye-catching start to life at Anfield after losing just one of his first ten Premier League fixtures as well as overseeing four consecutive wins in the Champions League and progressing into the last eight of the Carabao Cup. There was a significant moment for Slot in Tuesday night’s win against Leverkusen as a surprise tactical switch reaped immediate dividends as Luis Diaz was handed the leading role in attacking and rewarded his head coach with a stunning hat-trick against a visiting side managed by former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso.
Speaking after the win, Slot revealed the presence of reported Newcastle target Jonathan Tah, who he described as ‘maybe the best defender in Germany’, led him to opt against handing a start to striker Darwin Nunez and had Diaz a more prominent role in his front three.
He told The Metro: “A few things, I only have four attackers available at the moment with the injuries of Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa, and Darwin [Nunez] didn’t play that much in the beginning and then he started to play a bit more. With this fixture list, it’s almost impossible to play them all, especially if you haven’t played that many games before.
“So, that in combination with the fact that I think Tah, who is a real good defender and is one of the best defenders in Germany… maybe the best defender in Germany, maybe likes to play more against a target man, someone who’s there in the middle. We chose to play Lucho more from the left or the midfield and then maybe surprise him afterwards with runs in behind – not only him but in general. If you look at the first goal, that played out – what a pass from Curtis Jones.”
Tah has been linked with Newcastle on several occasions in recent months as the Magpies look to add to their defensive ranks over the next two transfer windows. The Germany international is believed to be have been watched by United recruitment staff over the last 12 months as he played a significant role in helping Alonso’s side claim a historic Bundesliga title win and lift the DFB-Pokal (German Cup). Bayer also reached the final of the Europa League but were denied a remarkable treble as a hat-trick from Ademola Lookman inspired the Serie A club to a 3-0 win. As it stands, Tah is out of contract at the end of the season, meaning Newcastle could instigate talks over a pre-contract agreement in January that would allow them to land the 32-times capped Germany international on a free transfer next summer.