Liverpool’s lack of options up front ahead of their FA Cup tie against Brighton disproves a notion among some that Alexander Isak was a luxury signing.
A £125 million British record fee was always going to bring pressure, not just on Alexander Isak, but also on Liverpool to justify their unusual splurge.
Among some members of the 24/7 football news cycle, in which everyone must have a strong opinion on every subject – even in areas where they are by no means an expert – there is a notion that Isak was a luxury signing for Liverpool.
A notion that, having brought in attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz and 23-year-old Hugo Ekitike, Isak was simply a power play.
While there may be an element of truth in Liverpool wanting to assert their authority on the league and market, signing the Swede was vital, and the Reds’ lack of attacking options in February is proving it.
Alexander Isak not “an addition, it’s a replacement”
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, September 20, 2025: Liverpool's substitute Alexander Isak on the bench before the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Everton FC at Anfield. The 247th Merseyside Derby. Liverpool won 2-1. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
The obvious argument against signing Isak was a strong one; that Liverpool needed to spend the money on a more versatile attacker, a man who could play on the wing too – we’re basically talking about Antoine Semenyo.
However, Isak had proven himself an asset coming in off the left at times for Newcastle, so Liverpool may have believed he or Ekitike could fill in on the flank when needed.
And this would be needed due to the absence of Luis Diaz, who moved on to Bayern Munich for £65.5m.
Despite the £446m spent over the summer, Liverpool started this season with fewer forwards than they won the title.
The tragic loss of first-choice striker Diogo Jota, coupled with the sales of Diaz and Darwin Nunez, left only Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa, Mo Salah and a 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha to make up the Reds’ attack.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, December 14, 2024: Liverpool's Diogo Jota (R) celebrates with team-mate Luis Díaz after scoring his side's second equalising goal during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Fulham FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
So, without Isak, they would have replaced three forwards with one. Even with Isak, they are still down on last season’s numbers.
Just ask Virgil van Dijk. He said: “It’s not really an addition; it’s a replacement.
“Players with a lot of quality left us and we had to replace them as they were important for us and we had successes.
“We have no control over the price tag. There will always be talks about that and that creates pressure, but it’s down to him and us that we don’t speak about it.”
Liverpool Forward Stats: 2025/26 Season
Name Games Started Minutes Played Goals Minutes per goal
Hugo Ekitike 25 2,213 15 148
Alexander Isak 10 781 3 260
Cody Gakpo 27 2,309 7 330
Mohamed Salah 22 2,122 6 354
Federico Chiesa 4 556 3 139
Rio Ngumoha 3 349 1 349
* Correct as of February 12, 2026 (including Community Shield)
While acknowledging the money could have gone on more than one forward, to suggest Isak was some kind of luxury is misplaced.
His absence, along with Jayden Danns‘ injury woes, the wingers’ poor form and Ekitike still adapting to English football has left Arne Slot with an attacking conundrum for Liverpool’s FA Cup fourth round match against Brighton.
The effect of Hugo Ekitike’s fatigue
If the Champions League final were tomorrow, Ekitike would be starting, there is no doubt about it.
However, the young forward has clearly been tiring in games and it would be a big ask on his fitness that he starts every single match remaining.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Wednesday, January 28, 2026: Liverpool's Florian Wirtz (R) celebrates with team-mate Hugo Ekitike after scoring the second goal during the UEFA Champions League match between Liverpool FC and Qaraba? FK at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
With a battle for Champions League qualification and the trophy itself still on the cards, the FA Cup would have been eyed as a good time to rest him.
Ekitike has already played 2,213 minutes this season. If Liverpool were to progress past Brighton and the Champions League round of 16, he would be on course to play more than the 3,664 minutes he managed last season.
Injuries and a lack of squad depth up front make it very difficult for Slot to rest the Frenchman against Brighton, though, as he wants to go deep into the competition this year.
Ahead of Liverpool’s win over Barnsley in the third round, Slot said: “Last season, I made the decision that some players needed to rest in the FA Cup because you cannot play every player every single time.
“But it’s obvious that we’re not in the League Cup anymore. The FA Cup has always been very important for us, but sometimes in a season where you still are competing for the League Cup, for the Champions League and the league – with the amount of players we had last season and have this season – you have to make choices.”
So, despite a thin squad, we won’t see wholesale changes as we did for Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup.
Jayden Danns’ missed opportunity
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, September 16, 2025: Liverpool's Jayden Danns during a training session at the AXA Training Centre ahead of the UEFA Champions League match between Liverpool FC and Atlético de Madrid. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Injuries have hampered not only first-team players’ seasons but also some of Liverpool’s developing talents.
With Isak missing until the spring, this could have been the period in which 20-year-old striker Danns could have really come to the fore.
With three senior goals already to his name, he has the physical attributes that make him ready for first-team football.
However, a succession of hamstring problems has caused him to miss a great opportunity.
“If he would have been fit, he would definitely have been in the squad,” Slot commented at the end of January.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Wednesday, September 17, 2025: Liverpool's substitute Jayden Danns on the bench during the UEFA Champions League match between Liverpool FC and Atletico Madrid FC at Anfield. Liverpool won 3-2. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“This would have been a great moment for him. With Alexander Isak being out and the quality he has, he could have been with us and helped us in certain moments.”
In terms of other young strikers at the academy, Will Wright, Josh Sonni-Lambie and Keyrol Figueroa are the best. However, Wright is rebuilding his sharpness after injury while Sonni-Lambie still features mainly at under-18 level.
Figueroa could get in the squad, as he did in the Carabao Cup, but a start seems highly unlikely.
Arne Slot’s options against Brighton
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, October 19, 2025: Liverpool's Federico Chiesa during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester United FC at Anfield. Man Utd won 2-1. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
If Ekitike isn’t to start, Slot’s best options could be to play Chiesa or Wirtz up front.
We have seen Wirtz deployed in a false-nine at times, but it could take away from his impact in midfield, where he has been pivotal for Liverpool over the last two months.
In addition, the German could be in need of a rest himself as, like Ekitike, he usually tires in the second half of games.
Meanwhile, Chiesa has had a mixed season. He started by scoring the winner off the bench against Bournemouth and looked bright in substitute appearances.
However, he has only started one game through the middle all season, Liverpool’s 3-0 loss to Palace at Anfield, and looked very ineffective. It does have to be noted, though, that his starts have come at a time when the rest of the team has been well below par.
Alternatively, Cody Gakpo could play up front with Rio Ngumoha starting as the Reds’ left-winger.
Having 2 great strikers is not unusual
CARDIFF, WALES - Saturday, March 22, 2014: Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge celebrates scoring the fith goal against Cardiff City with team-mate Luis Suarez during the Premiership match at the Cardiff City Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
The way football has gone, teams usually play with just one striker, but it wasn’t that long ago that two was the norm and you would have an extra two on the bench.
Just look back at Man United‘s 2008/09 as an example. They had Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, Dimitar Berbatov and a young Danny Welbeck, plus Cristiano Ronaldo could play up front if needed.
There was no suggestion that the substitutes were superfluous, and that was when having a deep squad was arguably less important than it is now.
Like when Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge combined so menacingly, if Isak and Ekitike click well enough, there will be room for them in the team.
Cast your minds further back to when Liverpool lifted the European Cup for the first time in 1977.
Liverpool had the dynamic duo of John Toshack and Kevin Keegan up front, with super sub David Fairclough and a young David Johnson for backup.
It is normal for top clubs to have two top strikers. Liverpool’s move for Isak will come to fruition; injury is the only thing that could stop that.
For now, Slot must find alternatives among his fringe players who are devoid of match sharpness, partly down to Slot’s refusal to trust them, but also due to the club’s transfer strategy over. a summer that was rocked by Jota’s death.