Newcastle United striker Alexander Isakplaceholder image
Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak | Getty Images
Liverpool are off to a flying start this season - do they really need Alexander Isak?
If there is one thing that Liverpool have shown in their openeing two games of the season, it’s that goals probably aren’t going to be an issue.
The forward line have all been chipping in with goals and assists which begs the question – does Arne Slot really need to sign Alexander Isak? The transfer saga is now at the stage where there are daily updates with the Reds looking like they are the ones in pole position and in control of the situation. Even if £10m has been knocked off the Swede’s price tag, the wait will have been worth it. A statement from Isak talking about broken promises was followed by Newcastle putting their foot down to leave a stand-off with no sign of either party blinking.
Do Liverpool need Alexander Isak after immediate Hugo Ekitike impact?
After two Premier League games, Ekitike has two goals and an assist to add to his opening goal in the Community Shield at Wembley. Mo Salah has a goal and an assist and Cody Gakpo has a goal and two assists. Add this to the winning goals scored by Federico Chiesa and Rio Ngumoha and there is little evidence that a record breaking fee needs to be paid for a striker.
Arsenal watched Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko with their recruitment team adamant that they had found their no.9 only for their technical director to prefer the older and cheaper Viktor Gyokeres. With Sesko yet to make any real impression for Man Utd, the early money is already on Liverpool’s new striker to come out on top in the scoring charts and one key quality that could make him a better option that Isak to lead the line for Slot.
The one quality that Isak can claim to be better at than Ekitike is his dribbling, at Newcastle, the 6ft 4 forward can be isolated which means that his ability to carry the ball and create space for himself and others is important. A skill that he simply wouldn’t need to display at Anfield because of the gluttony of talent that would be supporting him and an awful lot closer than Newcastle’s midfield can be to him at times playing in black and white. On paper, it is easy to see why Liverpool moved quickly for Ekitike once it was clear that Newcastle were going to be difficult to deal with over Isak.
Radar comparison of Victor Osimhen, Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak highlighting how each of the three strikers performed in 2024/25.placeholder image
Radar comparison of Victor Osimhen, Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak highlighting how each of the three strikers performed in 2024/25. | Data MB.
Do Liverpool have the “perfect centre-forward” already?
Ekitike has been on an upward trajectory for some time and his emergence this summer isn’t a surprise to those who have spent a lot of time watching him. Former Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves is an avid watcher of the Bundesliga and, speaking on TNT Sports earlier this year, tipped the 23-year old for the top: "He’s a goalscorer, he can get into these positions, he can finish with both feet; to be honest with you, he’s got the lot. You look at the career [Alexander] Isak’s had, he’s in that same category."
Supporting Hargreave’s comments was former England midfielder (and manager) Glenn Hoddle, who wholeheartedly agreed when he was asked if he thought Ekitike was special: "I think he is. I tell you what he does, he plays with no fear," Hoddle said. "He’s got pace, he’s got a little bit of everything there, he’s going to be the next one who goes for a massive profit. He looks like he could go right to the top this kid." Hargreaves added, "Technically, he’s very good. His link-up play is really good, he’s a good finisher, he’s got everything. He looks like the perfect centre-forward."
With the perfect centre-forward and Isak carbon copy already at the club, maybe Richard Hughes can find somewhere else to spend the £150m that it would take to take the Newcastle striker to Liverpool.
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