Alexander Isak has endured a difficult spell at Liverpool since becoming the most expensive signing in British history.
The Swede did not move to Anfield until the end of the summer transfer window, at which point he had missed the entirety of pre-season at Newcastle United.
Isak then picked up an injury early in his Liverpool career, which kept him out of action until the end of November.
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What ONE word sums up Liverpool’s signing of Alexander Isak?
Alexander Isak reacts with his hands on his head during Liverpool's Premier League match against West Ham United at the London Stadium
Photo by Izzy Poles – AMA/Getty Images
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The 22-year-old scored his first Premier League goal for Liverpool against West Ham United at the end of that month and was finally starting to play regularly.
However, just when things appeared to be looking up for the out-of-form attacker, Isak was injured after scoring against Tottenham and is now expected to be out of action until March.
Hugo Ekitike worth more than Alexander Isak
In his absence, though, Hugo Ekitike has more than stepped up to fill the void in the forward line.
The Frenchman has 11 goals in all competitions this season and is now rated as one of Liverpool’s most valuable players by CIES Football Observatory.
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CIES released an updated list of the most valuable talents around the world this week, and several of Slot’s men feature.
Florian Wirtz is given the highest valuation of any Liverpool star, sitting at €135.8m.
Ekitike sits in second place at €124.1m (around £107.45m), which is significantly more than what the Reds paid for him in the summer.
Isak, on the other hand, is only thought to be worth €95m (around £82.25m), nearly £22m less than his fellow striker.
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Isak is out until March, and Ekitike hasn’t trained. Could Chiesa be an option? 🤔
Hugo Ekitike during Liverpool v Leeds United - Premier League
Credit: Jan Kruger/Getty Images
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Liverpool’s most valuable players include Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo
Surprisingly, it’s not just Ekitike who CIES have given a higher transfer value than Isak right now.
Wirtz is obviously miles ahead of the Swede, while Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch are also included on the list.
Gravenberch (€100.6m) and Gakpo (€100.3m) both crack triple figures, while Dominik Szoboszlai (€90.5m) and Milos Kerkez (€72.9m) are also among the most valuable players in the world right now.
As expected, FC Barcelona gem Lammine Yamal has the highest transfer value of any player (€343.1).
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