Should Liverpool sign £150m Alexander Isak?

Liverpool are set for a striking shakeup next summer. Putting aside the issue of Mohamed Salah’s contract renewal, there is still plenty of uncertainty around several other forwards.

Diogo Jota cannot be relied upon to stay fit while it looks like Darwin Nunez is closing in on the end of his Liverpool career. Meanwhile, Federico Chiesa hasn’t worked out and it’s been reported that the Reds will listen to offers for the Italian.

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Getting rid of all three would leave a gaping hole in Arne Slot’s strike line but would also leave FSG and Liverpool with plenty of money to replace them.

Assuming the owners are serious about keeping Liverpool at the top then a top-class forward will need to be brought to the club. Fans won’t want to hear about the likes of Stefanos Tzimas and other scouting gems; they want the real deal and a proven talent.

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There have been links with Joao Pedro, Hugo Ekitike and Charles De Ketelaere and that is indeed a decent shortlist. That is only if Liverpool don’t manage to lure Alexander Isak to the club however.

Should they fail to land the Swede then by all means the club should move on to other targets. But there is good reason why the Reds - as well as Arsenal - are considering adding the 25-year-old to the ranks.

£150m price tag?

First there is the doubt surrounding Newcastle’s ability to re-qualify for the Champions League. If they don’t get into the top European competition then Isak would probably be within his rights to ask to be freed in order to join a club that qualifies.

Isak is out of contract in 2028 and maybe Newcastle’s future status among the game’s biggest teams will be a deciding factor in whether he renews or not. And if he doesn’t then that could reduce the initial outlay.

Right now it’s been reported that Newcastle would be open to selling for £150 million. That is an outlandish sum but should be taken as a starting point in talks. And even if Liverpool have never dreamed of spending such sums before, there is good reason to believe that Isak would be worth breaking the bank for.

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“It’s an understatement to say [he’s] in fine form, he is in excellent form,” Arne Slot said ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League game against the Magpies on Wednesday.

“The team performance will help control him. The more ball possession we have the more we can control him although he is dangerous on counter-attacks. But we have two very good centre-backs, which is what you need when you face the quality of Isak.”

He’s scored 19 goals and added five assists in 24 Premier League games this season. His overall Premier League record stands at 50 goals and eight assists in 76 matches.

Newcastle haven’t always been high achievers while Isak’s been there so those numbers certainly stand up to scrutiny.

The pros and cons for signing Isak

But it’s also how Isak has gone about his work that makes him an attractive target. He is the quintessential striking all-rounder, capable of close-range and long-range finishing.

He is capable of dropping wide to the left or into the hole behind the last line of attack to create. His link-play is top-notch, his first touch is sumptuous and his intelligence in reading the game is second to none.

Not only that but Isak is not shy about tracking back and putting in the hard yards off the ball. He is an expert at destabilising even the most organised of defences - as his goal against the Reds in December proves.

The drawbacks? Obviously the cost first and foremost. And also that Liverpool might well have to reconfigure their attack to get the best out of him. Slot has optimised his attack to get the most of out Salah. If he leaves - or else has to share the stage with Isak - then Slot will need a new plan.

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But this is definitely a deal that Liverpool should consider. Newcastle’s uncertain Champions League future, Isak’s emerging status as one of the best No9s in the game and Liverpool’s need for proper striking reinforcements in the summer give this transfer all the ingredients of a match made in heaven.

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