Jurgen Klopp very rarely got anything wrong while Liverpool manager. The German was a shrewd operator in the transfer market and got the Reds playing world-class football on the pitch. There's little to criticise about his almost nine-year spell in the Anfield dugout.
However, one oversight on his part that could come back to bite his former employers was the decision not to sign Alexander Isak. Newcastle United's talisman has been described as Liverpool's 'dream' signing this summer, but a deal is said to be complicated.
Isak's rise to become one of the best strikers in world football has caused problems for interested clubs. The Magpies will need to be heavily compensated if they are to give up their prized asset any time soon. A transfer fee of well over £100 million has been touted.
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Why Klopp Decided Against Signing Alexander Isak
Liverpool's recruitment team 'wanted' the forward
In another world, the Swede could have already been playing at Anfield week-in-week-out. In 2022, Liverpool are said to have 'wanted' to snap up Isak while he was a Real Sociedad player, according to Sky Sports. Well, the recruitment team did, at least.
The Reds got the decision to strike before players reached elite levels in Klopp's early years at the club. See Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Virgil van Dijk. However, despite the wishes of the decision-makers on Merseyside eyeing up a move for Isak, the German boss had other plans.
He even got his own way. Klopp and his assistant manager at the time, Pep Ljinders, pushed for the Reds to sign Benfica forward Darwin Nunez instead. There was reported hesitation within the club that the Uruguayan was the right fit, with Klopp even being warned against bringing Nunez to England.
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Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez has come under plenty of scrutiny since his Liverpool move, and Paul Joyce has suggested it was a Jurgen Klopp signing.
However, those concerns fell on deaf ears, and Liverpool sanctioned a move for Nunez. The 25-year-old hasn't reached the heights Klopp expected, scoring only 40 goals in three full campaigns. Contrastingly, Isak has been a revelation ever since moving to Newcastle, and has netted 22 more times in 40 fewer appearances.
Arne Slot's side walked to the 2024-25 Premier League title without needing too much assistance from Nunez or centre-forward alternative Diogo Jota. Had Isak been the man donning the number nine at the club, one can imagine the incredible heights the Reds would have reached.
Statistics in this article are courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 17-06-25.