Alexander Isak looks set to move to Liverpool for a Premier League record fee, although not all of the big-name pundits are convinced that it’s a good move.
The Swedish international has been on strike at the start of the season and has seemingly been granted his wish as the move to Liverpool edges closer.
There’s no doubt that the 25-year-old is one of the best forwards in the world, but several pundits are unconvinced that Liverpool actually needed him.
Here are five pundits who aren’t sure that Isak will be the right fit at Anfield.
Jamie Carragher
“He (Alexander Isak) will be an amazing signing, but from a fan’s point of view for myself, I don’t want Liverpool to spend £150 million on Isak,” Carragher said on The Overlap.
“He’s Liverpool’s number one target, and I can probably imagine that, but there’s something about Liverpool buying another striker (Hugo Ekitike), and he’s backup.
“Something about it doesn’t feel right to me. I know Liverpool need numbers, for a number of reasons, at the top of the pitch.
“I look at Isak, and he’s obviously thrown his toys out the pram once Arsenal signed a striker and Liverpool signed a striker.
“From his point of view and from his agent’s point of view, do they not tell Newcastle months ago that they wanted to move on? It feels a bit messy to me now.
“For me, when I think of Liverpool, it doesn’t look really planned – I don’t think the plan is to buy a striker for £80million, and then be looking to buy another one for £120million.”
David James
While James recognises Isak as one of the top forwards in the league, he thinks that his arrival could unbalance Arne Slot’s squad.
“Liverpool don’t need Alexander Isak to win the Premier League,” James told William Hill.
“It’s possible for a team to be blessed with too many riches – and it can end with disappointing results.
“If they were to sign Isak, one immediate benefit would be that it would significantly weaken Newcastle.
“But that’s not the difference between winning the Premier League or not – it wouldn’t make them any stronger favourites than they already are.”
Paul Merson
Merson thinks that Liverpool’s priority should be signing a new centre-half and not a striker.
“Last year, I thought the team virtually picked itself. However, this year there seems like a lot of competition for places, and it will be tricky to keep everyone happy,” Merson told Sky Sports.
“Potentially throw in Alexander Isak and that problem gets bigger.
“I worry for Liverpool this year, especially at the back.
“There’s been a lot of noise surrounding the potential deal to sign Isak, suggesting they will romp to the title if they sign the striker from Newcastle. I hear a lot of people saying that if Liverpool get Isak it’s game over in the Premier League. It’s finished.
“I just don’t see them winning the league as a foregone conclusion, Isak or not.
“If I was Liverpool, I’d be looking more for a centre back than Isak.”
With a move for Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi also potentially on the cards, there’s a chance that Liverpool will strengthen both areas of the pitch on deadline day.
Luis Garcia
The former Liverpool star isn’t convinced that Isak is worth a record fee.
“I’m not sure on the price-tag,” Garcia told ESPN.
“I was talking about him at Real Sociedad and the development of the player has been incredible. But the price I think is really, really high.
“It’s not that you’re a team who needs a centre-forward to score 30, 35 goals, you already have a player like that on the right side (Mohamed Salah), and you’ve got a lot of players who can score double figures.
“I think Isak is a fantastic player and of course he will give you something extra, but I’m not sure spending that money on a striker right now is the best thing for Liverpool.”
Shaun Wright-Phillips
“In terms of the saga, now that Liverpool have Ekitike, I don’t think it’s that important to sign Isak,” Wright-Phillips told Ace Odds.
“They’re putting themselves in a position where they just paid £70-80m for one, and right now he’s their main No. 9.
“When you’re going to pay £120m for somebody, he’s going to start. You can’t pay £120m and he’s not starting for your team.
“So there’s one conflict there that may start a bad egg. Because we don’t know Ekitike’s personality to that degree. If he’s not playing, how is he going to be?”
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