Alexander Isak may be the face of Liverpool's failure, but two others are more to blame, according to a senior football correspondent. The architects of the biggest spending spree in Premier League history, Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards, are culpable for the gaps in the squad that have become glaringly apparent this season.
Isak's tough season
Arne Slot noted that Isak's first Premier League goal at Anfield came at the end of April, summing up the season. Even Nordi Mukiele and Axel Disasi had scored for Liverpool at home before Isak, albeit not deliberately. Captain Virgil van Dijk described Isak's year as tough, with bad timing of injuries. However, neither Liverpool nor Isak are blameless; Isak went on strike at Newcastle, and Liverpool spent £125m on an injury-prone striker without a pre-season.
Record spending, poor returns
Liverpool spent £450m last summer and dropped from first to fifth, though three consecutive wins and Chelsea's meltdown may return them to the Champions League. Isak and Florian Wirtz, who cost a combined £241m, have not had the desired impact. Isak's debut year has been awful, Wirtz's underwhelming. Slot struggles to accommodate both, and playing Wirtz as a No. 10 leaves Liverpool too open.
Hughes and Edwards paid over the odds for Isak and Wirtz, while Manchester City got Rayan Cherki for a third of the price. Liverpool should not have signed Isak at all. Meanwhile, recruitment of full-backs has been poor; Milos Kerkez lost his place to veteran Andy Robertson, and Jeremie Frimpong was used as a winger, with midfielder Curtis Jones at right-back.
Missed opportunities
Liverpool missed out on Marc Guehi, who joined City for £35m and has been one of the finest defenders this season. They also underestimated the importance of Luis Diaz, and signing two specialist strikers instead of a winger proved a miscalculation as Mohamed Salah declined and Cody Gakpo's goals dried up. Salah's imminent departure underlines the need for another overhaul, costly after the £450m spree.
