Liverpool are expected to be in the market for a forward following Alexander Isak's latest big injury setbackplaceholder image
Liverpool are expected to be in the market for a forward following Alexander Isak's latest big injury setback | AFP via Getty Images
Liverpool are weighing up various attacking options after club-record signing Alexander Isak’s latest injury setback
Alexander Isak’s serious injury in last weekend’s 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur has left defending champions Liverpool with a concerning shortage of attacking options at a pivotal stage of the Premier League season.
The Swedish striker, who was signed from Newcastle United for a British record transfer fee of £125m, has struggled with form and fitness since arriving at Anfield and has largely failed to live up to his extortionate price tag. However, just as the struggling Swede showed signs of changing that with a goal off the bench against Tottenham, he sustained a damaging leg injury which forced him to leave the pitch just 11 minutes after replacing Conor Bradley.
A club statement said: "The Liverpool striker was injured in a challenge in the process of scoring the opening goal against Tottenham Hotspur and had to be substituted. After diagnosis, an operation was completed today on an ankle injury that included a fibula fracture. Isak's rehabilitation will now continue at the AXA Training Centre, with no timeframe yet placed on his return."
Isak’s latest setback comes at a time in the season where Liverpool are already short in attack. Legendary winger Mohamed Salah, whose future remains up in the air after his decision to publicly criticise Arne Slot, is currently at AFCON representing Egypt, while Cody Gakpo is currently nursing a muscle injury. It leaves Hugo Ektike, who has impressed since joining Liverpool, as the club’s only striker option, with Federico Chiesa and teenager Rio Ngumoha serving as he club’s only wide attacking options at the moment.
Liverpool are linked with Igor Thiago - but is he a good fit?
Caught Offside reports that recent events could force Liverpool to delve back into the market less than six months after splashing out a record-breaking £450m on attacking talent. The outlet suggest in-form Brentford striker Igor Thiago could be a target after a sensational start to the season with the capital club which has seen him score 11 goals in 17 matches this season.
The Brazilian is the latest in a long line of impressive striker signings for Brentford, who seem to have developed a sensational knack for replacing their star strikers once they inevitably move higher up the footballing food chain. Yoane Wissa (now of Newcastle United) scored 19 times from open play after emerging as the main man after Ivan Toney’s departure while the latter proved to be an inspired signing after Ollie Watkins’ exit, with the now Aston Villa frontman also proving an excellent replacement to Neal Maupay.
Thiago took time to settle at Brentford. His first season after his club-record £30m move from Club Brugge was marred by an ACL injury just weeks into his career. But he’s proven to be a real difference maker this term with a series of consistent displays in the centre forward position which have made him a nightmare for defenders to contain.
But is he the player Liverpool need long-term? Or is he more of stop-gap solution? Given the fact that Ekitike and Isak, who cost a combined £194m between them, are both likely to play ahead of him when fit, the latter seems to be the more likely scenario.
Why Omar Marmoush could be an excellent signing for Liverpool in January
Marmoush’s move to City was seen as one of the most exciting signings of the window. In the six months leading up to his transfer, he had registered a staggering 20 goals and 14 assists in 26 matches across all competitions. He was lauded for his excellent ability to strike a ball from free-kicks and was also praised for his excellent ability to take on defenders and score from distance.
The 26-year-old scored a memorable hat-trick against Newcastle United in his third appearance for City and finished last season with seven goals and two assists in 16 matches, as Pep Guardiola’s side bounced back from a poor first half of the season to qualify for the Champions League while finishing runners-up in the FA Cup final.
However, he’s struggled for game time this season - scoring once in 15 appearances across all competitions and only starting two league matches. Marmoush has failed to usurp the prolific Erling Haaland in the centre forward position and has rarely been used out wide or in the No.10 position to the resurgence of Phil Foden, the impressive form of Rayan Cherki and other forms of stiff competition in the shape of Jeremy Doku, Savinho and Oscar Bobb.
Marmoush is a talented footballer who can play both as a central forward and as a left-winger which would make him an excellent fit for Liverpool, who have lack of attacking options after Luis Diaz’s exit to Bayern Munich and Darwin Nunez’s departure to Saudi Arabia. He’s already shown he can play excellently alongside Ekitike during his time at Frankfurt, with the pair forming a fearsome partnership together in a 4-4-2 in the Bundesliga. And he’s also linked up with Salah before at international level, with the duo both finding the net in the AFCON opener against Zimbabwe.
It’s also not beyond the realms of possibility for Manchester City to do business with a top six rival. For example, they raised many eyebrows by selling Raheem Sterling to Chelsea in 2022 for £47.5m in what has since proven the right call - while they also perhaps less wisely with hindsight, sold Cole Palmer to the Blues a year later.
Guardiola even admitted back in 2023 that he had no qualms with selling players to clubs that’d be considered direct rivals. He told BeIn Sports: “From my point of view, I give my opinion to the club but after that the club has to decide if the transfer is good for both sides and for the player.But never ever (has it been an issue). I think that means you are a small club. Big clubs make decisions for the benefit for all three parties: players, both clubs – and agents sometimes. Really, it’s not a problem.
“So if they want to go to Chelsea or (Manchester) United or, I don’t know, Liverpool or whatever, what is the problem? They are happy to be there, the club is happy for the transfer. Another player would come and we’d keep going: good spirit, good mood, and try to do it.”
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