Stephen Warnock has claimed that Alexander Isak has been the Premier League’s most "underwhelming player" this season.
The Liverpool striker signed on deadline day for £125 million ($165M), making him the most expensive transfer in British soccer history. However, he is yet to justify that astronomical fee, with the former Newcastle man so far failing to net a Premier League goal.
Fitness has been a major issue for Isak since his arrival on Merseyside. He joined having missed out on almost an entire preseason, with Eddie Howe choosing to banish the Swede from the first team after he attempted to force through a move to Liverpool.
Arne Slot slowly built up his minutes over several weeks, with the Liverpool head coach declaring Isak fully fit after October’s international break.
Yet just two games later, he sustained a groin injury that kept him out of action for a month. Since recovering from that knock, Isak has played in Liverpool’s last two matches but has failed to impress and still lacks sharpness.
Therefore, it’s perhaps unsurprising that Warnock feels he has been the division’s most disappointing player this term.
Isak has endured a difficult start to the season
Isak has endured a difficult start to the season (Image: Getty Images)
“You’d have to say Alexander Isak has been the most underwhelming player this season,” the former Red told WhichBookie. “Particularly given his transfer fee.
“He’s yet to score in the Premier League and has just one goal in the Carabao Cup. When you look at that as a return on investment, it’s not great.
“I don’t think it’s his fault, though. There has been a lack of pre-season and it’s difficult to integrate properly into a team without it. It’s not working at the moment.”
Isak has now scored just one goal from 10 Liverpool appearances in all competitions, seven of which have been starts. However, given his fitness issues, the 26-year-old has yet to play 90 minutes for the Reds.
Steven Gerrrard
Steven Gerrard feels Isak's criticism has been unfair at times (Image: 2025 Getty Images)
Isak came off the bench in the bruising midweek Champions League defeat against PSV Eindhoven, but with Hugo Ekitike a doubt for Sunday’s trip to West Ham with a knock, Liverpool’s No. 9 could be in line to return to the starting line-up.
Meanwhile, ex-Red Steven Gerrard feels Isak’s problems are partly down to the team’s structure.
“Isak had no service against [Nottingham] Forest, and I did feel a bit sorry for him because he worked his socks off. You can clearly see he is rusty and needs game time,” the former Liverpool captain told TNT Sports.
"If you have an injury or miss a period of time, you can’t just switch it on like a light and lose your rust. It is a process.
“He will be doing extra training, and he needs minutes. He will produce for this club in the medium and long term. We need to be patient in the short term.”