Liverpool remain light in attack heading into the final week of the transfer window as they continue to monitor Alexander Isak
Harry Kane of Bayern Muenchen celebrates as he scores the goal 5:0 with Luis Diaz of Bayern Muenchen during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern München and RB Leipzig at Allianz Arena
Harry Kane of Bayern Muenchen celebrates as he scores the goal 5:0 with Luis Diaz of Bayern Muenchen during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern München and RB Leipzig at Allianz Arena
(Image: 2025 Stefan Matzke - sampics)
When Liverpool travel to Newcastle United on Monday night, it will be impossible to ignore the elephant in the room that is the Alexander Isak transfer saga. The wantaway Swede has made it clear he considers his Magpies career over and is essentially on strike as he looks to force an exit.
The Reds are his destination of choice, having had an £110m bid rejected earlier this month, and they are understood to be ready to return to the table should they be given encouragement from the North East that a deal could be possible.
But whether such encouragement will be forthcoming in the final week of the transfer window remains to be seen. In the meantime, all eyes will be on the pitch at St. James’ Park on Monday as the two sides lock horns. And the encounter will offer - admittedly unneeded - reminders of their current transfer plights and what still needs to be done.
Liverpool have enjoyed a remarkable summer transfer window to date, bolstering Arne Slot’s title-winning squad with nine new arrivals after spending an initial figure of over £290m.
But ideally, they are not done yet with Isak and Marc Guehi both still on the wishlist as they look to strengthen in attack and at centre-back.
Slot has already admitted they still need a new forward, and their looming trip to Newcastle has inevitably only enhanced talk of their pursuit of Isak.
But hosting the very side that want to lure away their prized asset is not the only reminder the Magpies will be faced with on Monday.
It has been a frustrating transfer window for Eddie Howe’s side so far, having missed out on a plethora of targets.
Even if Isak is forced to stay put at St. James’ Park, they still need another striker to replace Calum Wilson after the England international departed at the end of his contract.
So far, they have missed out on the likes of Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko and Hugo Ekitike in attack alone.
Of course, they will face up against such transfer failings on Monday with Ektike poised to lead the line for Liverpool against Newcastle.
The Frenchman has enjoyed a strong start to his Reds career, following up a debut goal in the Community Shield against Crystal Palace with a goal and assist on his Premier League and Anfield debut against AFC Bournemouth.
Ekitike is a player Newcastle have monitored for years, leading to them placing a £70m bid that was rejected by Eintracht Frankfurt back in July.
But with Liverpool making initial advances over Ekitike back in January, with Slot then speaking to the Frenchman at the end of last season, the Reds - already armed with all the data, scouting reports and character references needed to pursue the deal - were able to act quickly to conclude a deal after Newcastle’s own initial bid was rejected.
Back in July when moving for Ekitike, the Magpies insisted they wanted him to play alongside Isak rather than replace him. When he walks out at St. James’ Park on Monday, those of a Newcastle persuasion will be left wondering what might have been.
“There’s no doubting that I really like Hugo and have done for a number of years,” Howe admitted in his pre-match press conference ahead of facing Liverpool, answering a rare non-Isak question. “He’s someone that we have tracked for a long time.
“He’s got really good qualities and I think he showed that in his first Premier League game, a very good debut against Bournemouth.
“He’s got really good movement, he’s intelligent, he’s good in the air, he scores goals, a very good finisher, scores off both feet. I think he has a load of qualities that will serve him really well in the Premier League.
“Our job will be to keep him quiet and to try and control him but certainly he is going to be a threat this year.”
With Isak still on strike at Newcastle, Ekitike has been left free to flourish upfront for Liverpool in his first two outings without direct competition.
Sure, Federico Chiesa emerged late on to restore his side’s lead in the 4-2 victory against Bournemouth after being sent on upfront, but there is no escaping the fact that against both the Cherries and Crystal Palace in the Community Shield the week before, the Reds were not as effective after Ekitike had been withdrawn around the 70th minute mark.
Slot has had his reasons for such substitutions, admitting he still has to manage the new arrival carefully - especially given his lack of alternatives in attack.
But that in turn emphasises Liverpool’s need for an additional forward before the transfer window closes. As does the Reds’ departures this summer too.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Caoimhin Kelleher, Jarell Quansah, Luis Diaz, Tyler Morton and Darwin Nunez have all moved on from Slot’s Premier League-winning squad, while Diogo Jota was tragically killed in a car crash at the start of July.
With Nat Phillips and Ben Doak also being sold, Liverpool have so far agreed outgoing deals worth up to £227.5m including add-ons, while the likes of Harvey Elliott and Kostas Tsimikas could still depart.
Last season, Slot could call upon six senior international forwards in Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Chiesa, Diaz, Nunez and Jota.
Now he is down to four, with the versatility of Frimpong, Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones and - if he stays - Elliott required to provide depth. Teenager Rio Ngumoha is also an option, but boasts just one senior appearance under his belt and will celebrate his 17th birthday next week.
While the Reds currently look set to retain Chiesa’s services, despite a summer of speculation linking him with a return to Italy, the decision to sell both Diaz and Nunez - for a combined fee curiously in the same ballpark as their already rejected bid for Isak - suggests that a further recruit in attack will still be forthcoming.
It has not been lost on supporters that Nunez, who scored five goals in four pre-season outings for Liverpool before leaving for Al-Hilal, has continued that form for the Saudi Pro League outfit by scoring in each of his first two matches in friendly wins over FC Aarau and SV Waldhof Mannheim 07.
But Diaz’s impact at Bayern has proven to be even more telling. Scoring the winner on his debut to win the DFL-Supercup against VfB Stuttgart, the Colombian followed it up with a goal and two assists as the Bavarians started their Bundesliga title defence with a stunning 6-0 thrashing of RB Leipzig.
Of course, Diaz starting a campaign quickly is not a new sight to Reds supporters.
In each of his three full seasons for Liverpool, he scored in their first home game of the campaign against Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Brentford respectively.
Last season, he had five goals and an assist to show from his first five starts of the campaign. The year before, after also scoring the Reds’ first goal of the season away at Chelsea, he had three goals from his first five outings - a return he also matched in his first full season at Anfield in 2022/23.
Consequently, it should be no surprise to see Diaz again starting a campaign in electrifying form. His ‘issue’, for want of a better word, was always being able to consistently maintain such returns throughout an entire season.
But the sight of Diaz banging in goals for Bayern will only further hammer home the fact that Liverpool remain short in attack following his summer departure.
The Reds do not need reminding that they need to sign another forward, especially while they continue to monitor Isak’s situation from afar. But that does not mean they can escape said reminders either, as they look to rectify such a need in the final week of the transfer window.