The France international played his part in last season's success but his start to the current campaign is too poor to ignore
Plenty of people wanted to talk about Alexander Isak before, during and after Liverpool's chaotic clash with Newcastle on Monday night. Arne Slot wasn't one of them, though.
When asked about his club's interest in the Swedish striker after the dramatic 3-2 win at St. James' Park, Slot told Sky Sports: "I think the story should be about Hugo Ekitike. He has been with us for three games now and scored three goals. So, this is not the place to talk about anything other than that, although I can understand why you would ask the question."
Slot knows full well how big a talking point Isak's strike has become. It has become the saga of the summer and the media frenzy won't die down until the dispute is resolved one way or another. However, the game on Tyneside really wasn't about Isak - at least not from Liverpool's perspective. Slot doesn't necessarily need the Swedish striker to arrive at Anfield before the summer transfer window closes, as Ekitike delivered more evidence of how capable he is of leading the line.
What is painfully imperative, though, is that the Reds stop procrastinating and sign Marc Guehi - because continuing to count on Ibrahima Konate could cost them their Premier League title.