Whatever happens in the closing months of the season at Liverpool, Anfield will appreciate a sharper version of Alexander Isak after the break. That’s the hope, though, as it’s been Britain’s worst year for record signings.
In Isak, you can see a microcosm of the wider malaise across Merseyside. Liverpool not only fell from grace but hit the turf and were left scarred by an inexplicable relegation under Arne Slot.
There are mitigating factors and an understandable turnover that has played out a disappointing year, but consistency, poor stomach, waste in the final third and an inability to do the basics have left the manager shaking his head.
Isak has been limited throughout the season, absent through injury or lack of the big strength that defined his time at Newcastle United, but he is fit and could make a difference in the closing weeks of the season.
He will be needed next season, but with the Reds set to lose Mohamed Salah on a free transfer, they could do with another elite striker.
Liverpool plan to replace Salah with new Alexander Isak
Salah, 33, will leave Liverpool this summer, taking all his goals and strength in the bottom third with him. Last summer’s second signing of Isak and Hugo Ekitike was meant to help the succession plan, but it’s fair to say that nothing came of it.
|
Mohamed Salah’s PL career at Liverpool |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Season (* PL Title) |
Applications |
Terms + Help |
|
25/26 |
22 |
5 + 6 |
|
24/25* |
38 |
29 + 18 |
|
23/24 |
32 |
18 + 10 |
|
22/23 |
38 |
19 + 12 |
|
21/22 |
35 |
23 + 13 |
|
20/21 |
37 |
22 + 5 |
|
19/20* |
34 |
19 + 10 |
|
18/19 |
38 |
22 + 8 |
|
17/18 |
36 |
32 + 11 |
Isak scored 54 Premier League goals in three seasons at Newcastle, but only two for Liverpool. Although Slot will be sure that his talisman will be popular in life at some point, maybe he needs some help.
Although a distant prospect, Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise remains Liverpool’s dream replacement for Salah on the right wing, with Football Insider confirming that FSG are targeting the Frenchman.
Olise, 23, has been the best striker in the world this season, and Bayern know it, they are said to be comfortable with the future of the burgeoning star, putting a staggering £150m price tag on his head.
However, Olise is on the radar of the Anfield club, who realize that shutting down Salah is necessary and that they will hit the jackpot if they want to bring him back to the Premier League.
Why Michael Olise could be Liverpool’s new Alexander Isak
Olise’s status as one of the best players in the world is undeniable. The French striker is one of the best in the business, and is considered a leading contender for the Ballon d’Or at the end of the year.
If Bayern Munich wins the Champions League, they will certainly consolidate that position.
This season, Olise has scored 17 goals and provided 29 assists in all competitions. That makes no sense, and the distribution of his product in his home countries and in Europe only emphasizes the fact that he is headed for fame.
Take his performance at the Bernabeu last week, for example. Die Roten wanted a rare and precious victory, and he was right at heart. Olise enlisted to help, but he also won ten duels and out-danced his opponents throughout the game.
It may seem silly to say that he could be Liverpool’s new Isak, if he does sign, but the truth is that few expected Isak to join Anfield before August 2025, when the striker wants a move and the PIF finally stepped in.
FSG has been persistent, steadfast in its fight to sign one of the best in the business. Perhaps lightning could strike twice here, with Olise making it to the Premier League after his efforts with Crystal Palace and, more importantly, now established as one of the best in the world.
|
Most Assists in a Season in Europe’s Top 5 Leagues (21st Century) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
The player |
The season |
It helps |
|
Thomas Müller (Bayern) |
19/20 |
21 |
|
Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) |
19/20 |
20 |
|
Lionel Messi (Barcelona) |
19/20 |
20 |
|
Thierry Henry (Arsenal) |
02/03 |
20 |
|
Thomas Müller (Bayern) |
20/21 |
19 |
|
Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) |
14/15 |
19 |
|
Zvjezdan Misimovic (Wolfsburg) |
09/10 |
19 |
|
Michael Olise (Bayern) |
25/26 |
18 |
His unparalleled brilliance would see him work for Isak from time to time in a Liverpool shirt, but, more importantly, he would represent a repeat of the club’s deal to sign one of the world’s best strikers, defying the odds to get the deal done.
After such a poor campaign, it’s the kind of move Liverpool need to make, reminding the world of their quality and signing a player who can bring them back to their place.
Word on the street is that Olise’s signature will be out of reach this summer, but so was Isak last year, and while the Swedish striker has a lot to prove at Anfield, FSG’s ability to pull a rabbit out of the hat could be called upon to play again in the coming months.
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