Arne Slot confirms that Diogo Jota's contract was paid in full to family

Liverpool provided their immediate support to the family of Diogo Jota by paying out the remainder of the late striker's contract with the club.

Jota left behind new wife Rute and their three children, and he and brother Andre Silva are survived by parents Joaquim and Isabel.

In an interview with TNT Sports conducted last week, Arne Slot confirmed that Liverpool paid the remaining two years of Jota's contract to his family.

“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],” Slot explained.

“Maybe people think it's normal, but it is not in football.”

The exact value of Jota's contract is unknown but the 28-year-old was believed to earn upwards of £100,000 per week and any payout would therefore be worth at least £10 million.

Liverpool's gesture had initially been reported by Portuguese publication Record in the days immediately following Jota and his brother's death on July 3.

It was also alluded to by Fenway Sports Group's Tom Werner, chairman and co-owner of the club, when speaking to The Overlap US earlier this month.

“The support network within the club is very strong,” Werner said.

“It was immediately important to us to immediately reach out to his widow and to make sure that she understood that we are a family.

“It's a cliche, but we do think of ourselves as a family. And we wanted to make sure that she was well taken care of financially, and her children.”

Jota's memory continues to be honoured at Liverpool almost three months after his death with the No. 20's song chanted in the 20th minute of games.

It serves to symbolise the impact of losing a player in such tragic circumstances, with grief felt through the club, from the players and staff to the ownership.

“The grief of the city, that is what makes it so special for me to work at this club,” Slot continued.

“The way the fans conducted themselves after that tragedy, how many flowers there were, all the memorials, I almost get emotional thinking about it.

“It's unbelievable what our fans have done – and our players as well, the way they've conducted themselves in and around the funeral, then we had to train again.

“There are moments where I feel what his wife and children must feel, because it sounds so hard.

“But our lives continue, people expect from me that I prepare them for everything.

“That sometimes feels a bit difficult, knowing how hard it is for the family, for the parents, who are in the phase they are still going through and will go through for the rest of their lives.”

Jota's wife Rute was in attendance at the Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris on Monday, with her late husband honoured as part of an emotional tribute.