Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo says "money doesn't play football" after Liverpool boss Arne Slot suggested they had spent their way to success this season.

Forest welcome Slot's Premier League leaders to the City Ground on Tuesday for a crunch match which could determine whether they are in a title race.

Nuno has guided his side to six successive victories in the league and they would move to within three points of Liverpool with victory on Tuesday night.

Slot was complimentary about Nuno and Forest ahead of the game, but negated it by saying: "If you look at the money they spent, it's not a complete surprise."

But Nuno said it was about the players rather than the money spent.

"I don't know the spending, I don't know the value. That doesn't happen," he said.

"I look at the player as a human being and how I can make them better. How can I make you better?

"Money doesn't play football, people do. It's not my issue, we are not concerned about the price tag of things."