Arne Slot has confirmed that Liverpool will be paying Diogo Jota's contract in full to the family of the Portuguese forward. Jota tragically lost his life in a road traffic accident on July 3, 2025. He passed away, alongside his brother Andre Silva, when travelling to catch a ferry that would have returned him to the United Kingdom for pre-season training with Premier League title holders at Anfield.

Getty Images/GOALTributes paid following Jota's death

An outpouring of grief accompanied the news of Jota’s passing, with tributes pouring in from around the world. Many of those passed messages of condolence on to Jota’s wife Rute Cardoso and their three children. Reports at the time suggested that Liverpool would provide financial support to Jota’s family.

The 28-year-old still had two years left to run on his contract with Liverpool, having become an important part of the Reds’ plans under Jurgen Klopp and current head coach Slot. It has now been revealed that Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), are settling Jota’s contract completely in a bid to assist the former Portugal international’s relatives.

AdvertisementFSG helping to support Jota's family

Discussing a difficult summer for all concerned on the red half of Merseyside, Dutch tactician Slot told : "Unfortunately we had to bring one player more in than we were… than what was the plan. That's why our spending was higher than intended.

"The grief of the city, that is what makes it for me so special to work at this club. To work at a club where there is success and there is a parade, of course this parade is bigger than any parade everywhere around the world. But the way they conducted, the fans themselves, after that tragedy. How many flowers there were, all the memorials, I can almost get emotional thinking about it. It's unbelievable what our fans have done. And our players as well, the way they have conducted themselves in and around the funeral. And then we have to train again. And there are moments where I feel, 'What must his wife and his children feel now?'.

"Because it sounds so hard… our life continues. People expect from me that I prepared them forever. And that sometimes feels a bit difficult, knowing how hard it is for the family and for the parents. The phase they are still going through and will go through for the rest of their lives. I said how proud I felt about how the fans reacted but ownership… Owners are mainly criticised, like managers, but the way they've handled this situation, by paying his wife and his children all the money from the contract [is commendable]. Maybe people think it's normal, but it is not in football."

Getty Images SportLiverpool will forever remember Jota

Liverpool chairman Tom Werner, during a discussion with , had previously suggested that the club were taking measures to support Jota’s wife and children. He said: "He was an extraordinary person. He was beloved, not because he was the leading goalscorer. He was beloved because he was genuinely kind. I found him incredibly curious. When I would have a conversation with him, we would talk a lot about gaming. When he did his goal celebration, he referred to that. He had an esports team and I think, by reputation, he was one of the best FIFA players in the Premier League. I only mention that because he had a certain breath of curiosity that drew people to him. He was extremely popular among his teammates, he was extremely popular in the dressing room.

"One of the things that I admired about him. He had a couple of tough injuries last year but he didn't mope around, he focused on how he could help the club and knew that he could have an impact even if he didn't start. And he did have an impact because he did have some late goals that were really quite important. He accepted his role in a graceful way.

"It's always a tragedy when someone dies before their time. But his death really did hit everybody because he was so beloved. It was immediately important to us that we reach out to his widow and to make sure that she understood that we are a family. It is a cliché but we do think of ourselves as a family and we wanted to make sure she was well taken care of financially, and her children. It's very important for us to demonstrate that, whatever happens, we care about the footballer but we care even more about the individual."

No.20 shirt retired & sculpture commissioned

Liverpool have retired Jota’s No.20 shirt, while a sculpture – crafted from recycled items from the memorial that fans created outside Anfield – has been commissioned. Jota, who moved to Merseyside from Wolves in 2020, made 182 appearances for the Reds and scored 65 goals.