Klopp sold Liverpool ace for just £9.5m, now he’s outperforming Isak

Liverpool have maybe rested on their laurels in current switch home windows, with Federico Chiesa the one first-team signing made since Jurgen Klopp accomplished a much-needed midfield rebuild with the signing of Ryan Gravenberch in August 2023.

That is going to alter this summer season. Arne Slot has surpassed expectations after which some in guiding Liverpool towards the Premier League.

Certain, positive, the Reds have not received it but, however they want only one level from 5 matches to seal the best place on the rostrum. It might take essentially the most exceptional of slip-ups to fall now.

The truth that Slot has engineered the triumph with out placing his personal stamp on the Anfield facet bears testomony to his elite-level tactical high quality. To make certain, title rivals have faltered this yr, however Liverpool have nonetheless been good of their consistency, their steadiness.

Now, it is time to add some high quality, and with Darwin Nunez set to go away, a brand new striker is required. Alexander Isak is the dream.

Why Liverpool need Alexander Isak

Quick reply? Isak is completely good, some of the harmful attacking gamers on this planet.

Evaluation of the longer type identifies a wealth of assorted properties that make the Sweden worldwide a matchless quantity 9 throughout Europe proper now.

Erling Haaland has goalscoring inevitability, Kylian Mbappe the tempo and motion, Harry Kane the management and passing sport, however there is a case to be made that the Magpies talisman affords essentially the most dynamic and balanced method of the lot, when contemplating each side of the centre-forward sport.

As per FBref, the 25-year-old ranks among the many prime 7% of forwards throughout Europe’s prime 5 leagues over the previous yr for objectives, the highest 15% for assists, the highest 14% for shot-creating actions, the highest 13% for progressive passes, the highest 7% for progressive carries and the highest 6% for profitable take-ons per 90.

A profitable take-on is recorded when a participant beats their opponent by instantly carrying the ball previous them whereas retaining possession.

Isak’s completeness units him aside from different strikers, these performing on the prime of their sport, however his lethal goalscoring means is, in fact, the essence of why FSG would love nothing greater than so as to add him to Slot’s squad.

With 25 objectives and 6 assists throughout 38 matches in all competitions this season, Isak is clearly among the finest. Liverpool would solely enhance with the rangy ahead of their combine.

Whether or not Newcastle keep agency on their £150m (and even larger) valuation will decide whether or not FSG green-light a summer season transfer. However his output bespeaks his high quality. Few gamers are able to matching such a haul.

Mohamed Salah can be one who surpasses Isak’s numbers, however there’s an ageing former Redman who’s additionally treading above Isak’s numerical stage.

Who that’s might come as a shock.

The previous Liverpool star outperforming Isak

He is perhaps getting on a bit, however Xherdan Shaqiri nonetheless has that particular one thing that makes him such a menace in and across the ultimate third.

The 33-year-old hasn’t been on Liverpool’s books for a minute, leaving to signal for French Ligue 1 outfit Lyon in a £9.5m deal again in 2021, having fallen down Klopp’s pecking order because of the high quality of Liverpool’s different forwards and Shaqiri’s unlucky damage struggles.

Diminutive in stature, Shaqiri was small however mighty in Liverpool colors, and although he is since hopped over the pond and performed with Chicago Hearth within the MLS, he is returned to Europe, signed for Basel, again on Swiss territory.

That first season on Merseyside bred the richest success for Shaqiri on a person stage, instrumental in profitable the Champions League as he positioned two assists throughout that match in opposition to Barcelona.

He is confirmed himself amongst his technology’s most technically gifted playmakers, now concentrating on a storybook ending as he drives Basel towards the Swiss top-flight title.

He is thriving. Shaqiri – who Klopp dubbed a “very particular participant” – has scored 16 objectives and equipped 18 additional assists for Bebbi this season, having solely featured in 32 matches throughout all competitions.

This high-stretching haul of 34 objective involvements is above even that of Isak, who’s, in fact, taking part in at the next stage. Nonetheless, it highlights Shaqiri’s high quality, having received the Champions League with Bayern Munich earlier than Liverpool, changing into a talisman at Stoke Metropolis, thrived with Inter Milan, earned reward for his overhead-kick-scoring Reds debut by Klopp.

He boasts the form of profile that may very well be excellent for Isak, ought to the latter man make the transfer and be a part of Slot’s mission this summer season. As per Sofascore, Shaqiri has solely missed two large probabilities within the league this yr, scoring 14 instances. He is additionally created a whopping 24 large probabilities, averaging 3.5 key passes per sport.

You could possibly argue that Dominik Szoboszlai might take a leaf from his e-book, for the Hungarian midfielder must up his sport in entrance of objective to really maximise his expertise, particularly when a positional peer corresponding to Shaqiri is able to matching Isak’s attacking numbers.

Although Shaqiri’s finest days are behind him, it is heartwarming to see him having fun with such prolific success again in his homeland as he approaches the twilight of an illustrious profession.

The actual fact that he is outperforming Isak, who has been described as “one of the best striker within the Premier League” this season by Sky Sports activities’ Jamie Carragher, points a pleasant reminder that he is some of the underrated stars of Liverpool’s journey over the previous decade.