Arne Slot dropped a clue over Alexander Isak during Liverpool’s defeat against AC Milan

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Liverpool’s defeat against AC Milan on Saturday showcased several interesting points about the current state of the Reds’ team.

Despite the result, there was plenty to be encouraged about from a Liverpool point of view.

However, one thing that really stood out throughout the 90 minutes was Liverpool‘s lack of an out-and-out striker.

With Darwin Nunez nursing an injury – and probably on the way out – and Hugo Ekitike not yet ready to play, Arne Slot was left to field dual No. 10’s in Florian Wirtz and Harvey Elliott.

Wirtz was fantastic, and this is clearly an option Slot likes to deploy at times. But it was blatant that Liverpool were missing a focal point.

While Ekitike could provide this, Liverpool are still hoping to sign Alexander Isak. And although some may believe those two players cannot play together, we think Slot proved on Saturday that he very much has a plan for how they can.

Arne Slot wants to play four up front for Liverpool

Despite having no discernible striker to hang their hat on, Liverpool still had a front four for much of the game on Saturday.

With Mohamed Salah on the right and Rio Ngumoha on the left, Wirtz and Elliott were regularly the two most advanced players.

Slot may only want to play this system while deploying dual 10s, as he did away at Manchester City last season.

But we actually think it could be very easily translated to a more permanent tactic of the Liverpool squad if Isak is to arrive.

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Salah would obviously keep his place on the right, with Wirtz also maintaining the position he largely occupied on Saturday.

Instead of another No. 10, though, the German would have Isak alongside him. This could at times be Ekitike and Isak together, but we think the Frenchman could play more regularly from the left, perhaps rotating inside and out with Wirtz.

Another relatively versatile forward, Cody Gakpo could also be used in this role as well. With Wirtz, Ekitike and Gakpo drifting from left to centre and Salah staying right, Isak can be that permanent figurehead in the centre of the attack.

Liverpool leaning on versatility

Although one of the features of Liverpool last season was having players who were designated to have one specific role, it feels like this will be different in 2025/26.

There are those, such as Salah and, probably, Isak if he joins who will stick to one main job in attack. But it seems as though Slot is looking to fill the rest of the attack with versatile players around them.

Ekitike has been seen by many as the definitive signing at No. 9 for Liverpool, but even the man himself said that he likes to play in different roles.

“I mean, I do what the coach asks me to do, but yeah, I like to do everything,” Ekitike said in his first interview as a Liverpool player.

“I can’t define myself only as a striker [who likes] to finish: I like to play, I like to be in the game, in the collective part of play [and] create also. So, I can do both – I can play alone and I like to play also with another striker and I think that’s what makes me versatile, but you know now in this football you need to adapt.”

It is clear who Liverpool would like that ‘other striker’ to be, and after the first clue was dropped on Saturday, how Slot wants to use them together is beginning to formulate.