Alexander Isak hasn’t performed to the standards expected of him at Liverpool this season.
The attacker was expected to revolutionise the way that the Reds’ attack played, but in reality, that’s been far from the case.
Not only has the Sweden international had to get back up to full fitness, but he’s also had to deal with injuries, which have further hindered his progress.
Alongside the challenges of getting up to speed, Isak has also had to face off with Hugo Ekitike to become Liverpool’s starting striker and, with the Frenchman’s current run of form, that’s likely to have been hard for him to deal with.
All of these different reasons have made fans question whether Isak was worth the £125 million that was spent on him in the summer.
In fact, some are now saying that Arne Slot should have just stuck with Ekitike or even made a move for Nick Woltemade instead.
Stephen Warnock thinks that Liverpool made the correct decision to sign Alexander Isak this summer
While speaking to Liverpool World, Stephen Warnock has shared why he thinks Liverpool did the right thing by signing Isak over Woltemade.
“No [Liverpool shouldn’t have signed Woltemade over Isak], because no one knew what Woltemade was going to do. He was an unknown last season and scored a hatful of goals,” he said.
“He played relatively well in the under-21 Euros when I saw him. He didn’t do anything in the final; he was a little bit passive when I thought he was going to step up.
“Sometimes it’s the players around you that make you step up. On the right-hand side, he has got Jacob Murphy or Anthony Elanga and on the left, Anthony Gordon. There is a style that suits that No.9 at Newcastle, [with] the way they play.
“With Isak, Liverpool left it late in the window. If they knew they were going to pay that money, get him in as quick as you can.
“I know it was a bit more difficult because Newcastle needed to find a replacement, but Newcastle didn’t want Woltemade to start with.
“They stumbled across that and probably paid over what they should have paid for him. Newcastle wanted [Hugo] Ekitike, and Liverpool signed him as well.
“It hasn’t worked for Isak at the moment, but we will see the best of him. Whether it’s in the next six months, I’m not too sure.
“Pre-season is so important for players, and having lost that pre-season, I don’t think we will see the best of him this season.”
Not only has Warnock outlined why Woltemade wouldn’t have been a smart signing for Liverpool, but he’s also made a very valid point about Isak.
Since he didn’t have any sort of pre-season, it’s unlikely that fans will see the best version of their club-record signing any time soon.
He may have been one of the Premier League’s best strikers last term, but now, he has a lot of making up to do before he’s put in the same regard as someone such as Erling Haaland again.
Alexander Isak needs to work on his fitness and slowly get back up to speed at Liverpool
As with any transfer, it’s going to take time for players to get adjusted to their new surroundings.
However, since so many new faces were brought through the Anfield doors in the summer, it’s taking far longer for Liverpool’s men to adjust to one another’s playstyles.
At the moment, Ekitike deserves to be the Reds’ starting striker, and although Isak has plenty more top-flight experience, he’s just not up to scratch yet.
As Warnock said, eventually, Isak will get back into the swing of things and will likely start firing goals in left, right and centre.
The former Newcastle man hasn’t been helped much by the lack of form Liverpool’s starting XI have been in, either, with some, such as Mohamed Salah, enduring their worst campaigns ever.
At the moment, the transfer of Isak may feel like a waste of money to some fans, but in reality, it’s all part of a bigger picture, and in the future, fans will reap the rewards of their £450 million+ summer spend.
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