Liverpool’s 2025/26 campaign is upon us. This weekend, Arne Slot will lead his troops out for the first time this term, looking to claim the Community Shield against Crystal Palace, who won the FA Cup in May.
The curtain-raiser is little more than a prelude to the campaign, but for the Premier League champions, it’s an opportunity to showcase the new quality added to the ranks, and to set the tone for the years ahead.
The likes of Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike will be gunning for starts up top, while full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong will hope to kick off a long and fruitful partnership on the flanks. Giorgi Mamardashvili may make his debut following Alisson Becker’s departure from pre-season due to a personal issue. The Brazilian has since returned to training.
One player who will not feature for the Reds is Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, who desperately wants to sign for the Merseysiders and has already been the subject of a rejected £110m bid.
But will sporting director Richard Hughes manage to pull it off?
The latest on Alexander Isak to Liverpool
Newcastle’s struggle to sign a new centre-forward has inhibited Liverpool in their quest for “the best striker in the Premier League”, as Isak has been described by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher.
Isak’s position at Newcastle appears untenable, for he was not included in the club’s recent barbecue, a get-together involving the squad, staff and family members, and he has also been ordered to train alone.
With the Magpies actively searching for a new number nine, it feels like Isak will be granted the chance to move at some stage this summer, albeit that is hardly a certainty. For their part, Liverpool are said to be readying a fresh approach, according to reports.
|
Alexander Isak’s Record at Newcastle (all comps) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Apps (starts) |
Goals |
Assists |
|
24/25 |
42 (41) |
27 |
6 |
|
23/24 |
40 (36) |
25 |
2 |
|
22/23 |
27 (18) |
10 |
3 |
|
Data via Transfermarkt |
|||
Should Liverpool fail to capture their quarry, FSG have earmarked several alternatives, with one in particular appearing a curious choice.
Liverpool open talks for Isak alternative
According to Empire of the Kop, Liverpool are interested in signing Yoane Wissa from Brentford this summer, should they fail to prise Isak away from St. James’ Park. It’s understood that initial enquiries have been made.
Wissa, 28, was one of the Premier League’s most prolific forwards last season and is valued at £50m. Suitors will hope to pay less. Newcastle have led the race over recent weeks, but Tottenham Hotspur and Al-Nassr have also expressed a desire to snap him up.
The DR Congo international has now returned to training after previously going on strike, though he still targets a move away from the Gtech Community Stadium.
That said, if Liverpool were to bump up the intensity of their intrigue, there’s perhaps a sense that Hughes might inadvertently add to the Magpies’ woes, for Wissa would surely be enticed by a one-way trip to Anfield.
Why Liverpool are interested in Yoane Wissa
Wissa might not be the flashiest name on the market, but he’s a clinical goalscorer and he’s proven in the Premier League. Last season, he scored 20 goals across all competitions, including 19 in the Premier League.
Hailed by Sky Sports’ Mark McAdam for his “absolutely sensational” finishing, Wissa might not have Isak’s dynamism or staggering technical ability, but he’s rather good at what he does, and would provide the perfect counterpoint to Ekitike.
Last season, Ekitike ranked among the top 10% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues for assists, the top 6% for shot-creating actions, and the top 4% for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.
Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.
He does, however, mirror Isak’s ready-made clinical nature, and that’s something that could prove important given that Ekitike is not the finished product.
There’s a partnership there, for sure. Wissa and Ekitike might not be stylistically similar as number nines – and that bodes well for Liverpool’s long-term fluency – but the Bees star could become the Reds’ next version of the former Eintracht Frankfurt man all the same.
That’s because Newcastle have a vested interest in the £25k-per-week talent, with their interest longer-standing too (the Tyneside outfit first bid for Ekitike in 2022, before ultimately signing Isak).
For Liverpool to steal ahead and pile more misery onto the Carabao Cup champions would be a cruel blow to those of a Toon persuasion, but the argument for signing Wissa is strong.
Forking out another British-record fee on Isak is understandable, but that doesn’t mean Liverpool should spend a ridiculous amount on an alternative just to tick a box. In Wissa, an astute purchase could be made, and one which would enhance and progress the team all the same.
With Darwin Nunez on the cusp of completing a permanent transfer to Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, this would be a necessary move to make, and one which would see Wissa establish himself as Liverpool’s next version of Ekitike.
Wissa might not have Isak’s show-stopping name, but there’s no question that the DR Congo star boasts a wealth of Premier League experience and would serve as a welcome counterpoint to the expansive Ekitike.
Liverpool have already stolen one centre-forward target from Newcastle this summer, and they could do the same again by completing a shrewd move for Wissa, should a deal for Isak fall through.
