Alexander Isak is looking to put a difficult first year at Liverpool behind him and make a significant impact in his second season under new manager Andoni Iraola. The striker, who joined Liverpool for a British-record fee, struggled with fitness and form during his initial 15 appearances, scoring just two goals. His season was further derailed in December when he broke his leg during a match against Tottenham.
Iraola has expressed optimism about Isak's readiness for the upcoming season. "Alex is exciting," Iraola stated. "He has come to pre-season in a good place, had a good World Cup, feeling comfortable. First training here, still early but I hope he can play against Leeds and have a proper pre-season. It is not long, but three or four weeks of quality training I hope and he is in a good place because he is going to be massive for us."
Isak's prior performance in the Premier League, where he scored 57 goals since joining Newcastle ahead of the 2022-23 season, indicates his potential. Only Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, and Ollie Watkins have scored more goals in that period. With Hugo Ekitike sidelined due to injury and Mohamed Salah's departure, Liverpool is in need of offensive output, making Isak's resurgence crucial.
Robbie Fowler, a former Liverpool striker, has voiced strong support for Isak, backing him to justify the club's substantial investment. "I am a massive fan," Fowler said. "He is proven in the Premier League. For whatever reason, he turned up not fit or whether it was that he struggled to step up to a big club. But I have no qualms with him. He is exciting. He will score goals. He will be a handful. Hopefully this is the season he kicks on. He got injured at the wrong time but I want him to come back fit and firing."
Isak has reportedly been working on increasing his physical strength following a positive World Cup campaign with Sweden, where he displayed strong form, including a solo goal against Tunisia. He has also been observed engaging with and mentoring younger strikers during pre-season training.
New manager Iraola plans to utilize Isak primarily as an out-and-out number nine, with Florian Wirtz operating as a traditional number 10. The club's significant investment in both players means that another year of adaptation is not feasible for either the team or the manager.