2025-12-05 13:20:55
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has conceded in his pre-Leeds press conference that the Reds need to get Alexander Isak more involved in games.
Isak, 26, joined the Anfield side this summer for a British record £125m fee. Last season, Jamie Carragher declared him “the best striker in the Premier League”. He scored 27 goals in all competitions for Newcastle United, including the winner in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley, against Liverpool.
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Isak’s Involvement on the Ball in the Premier League |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Touches per game |
Passes per game |
|
25/26 – LFC |
17.1 |
5.6 (65%) |
|
24/25 – NUFC |
33.3 |
14.9 (77%) |
|
23/24 – NUFC |
26.8 |
12.6 (80%) |
|
22/23 – NUFC |
29.5 |
12.5 (78%) |
|
Data via Sofascore |
||
But he’s toiling away at his new club, and to little avail at that. This speaks of the wider tactical imbalances at the club right now, with the forwards all struggling and the midfielders and defenders too.
Change is needed, but with new and elite centre-forward options strapped in, FSG are turning their attention to Liverpool’s attacking flanks.
Liverpool lining up a wide forward
Last month, Slot was quizzed on Liverpool’s transfer plans ahead of the January transfer window, as the dismal form raged on. That stain has only spread since, but the coach hinted that the Premier League champions’ priority lies not with the rearguard but on the wing.
Liverpool didn’t replace Luis Diaz when selling the versatile Colombian to Bayern Munich in August, and that was clearly a mistake. Cody Gakpo knows where the back of the net is, but he’s somewhat one-dimensional, with fans annoyed by the regularity of his cutting inside when the ball finds him down the left lane.
Perhaps that is why rumours have resurfaced of Liverpool interest in Real Madrid star Rodrygo, with TEAMtalk suggesting this week that Anfield is one of the few places the Brazilian would consider joining; Arsenal have also been mooted.
Rodrygo may be undergoing a divorce with superstardom at Los Blancos, but that doesn’t mean Florentino Perez will let the 25-year-old leave on the cheap, tentatively transfer-listing him for around €90m (£79m).
Why Liverpool should sign Rodrygo
It’s no secret that Liverpool are interested in signing Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo in January, but Rodrygo is cut from finer cloth, the Brazil international having conquered Europe and Spain too during his time with Real Madrid.
Across 286 senior appearances, he has scored 68 goals and supplied 53 assists, and last year, Jude Bellingham said “he’s probably the most gifted player in the squad”, with frightening speed and deadly finishing and a versatile take on the attacking game.
Though he has served Real Madrid’s wishes out on the right flank for most of his career, Rodrygo actually prefers playing off the left. The right-footer believes he is at his most clinical in that role, and last season, though he struggled on the whole, he scored six goals and supplied six assists across just 12 outings.
|
Rodrygo – Career Stats by Position |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Position |
Apps |
Goals |
Assists |
|
Right winger |
148 |
34 |
31 |
|
Left winger |
89 |
23 |
18 |
|
Centre-forward |
85 |
22 |
8 |
|
Attacking midfield |
4 |
– |
1 |
|
Data via Transfermarkt |
|||
Rodrygo would surely displace Gakpo and cement a regular starting berth under Slot’s wing at Liverpool. Gakpo, scapegoated at times this season, is still not the multi-faceted wideman that Diaz was, and Rodrygo would restore that presence that FSG are so intent on replacing.
Hailed as a “world-class superstar” by former teammate Luka Modric, he is the real deal, alright, with pedigree on the biggest stage and so much more still to give. Rodrygo has lost his way in Spain, but at Liverpool, he could become a leading man, especially with Mohamed Salah ostensibly winding down.
He is a man of many dimensions, and indeed has more in his locker than Gakpo, even with the Dutchman averaging 2.2 created chances per game in the Premier League this season, the most frequent of any Liverpool player and the fifth-highest average in the division.
But Rodrygo, even at his lowest ebb, ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues for pass completion, the top 15% for shot-creating actions, the top 5% for progressive carries and the top 18% for tackles won per 90, as per FBref.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent’s goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
There is little question that Rodrygo would raise Liverpool’s level, adding width and pace and dynamism down the left flank and maybe serving out on the right when called upon.
Gakpo enjoyed plenty of success last season, scoring 18 goals and supplying seven assists across all competitions. He is a potent threat. But he also needs a counterpoint to jockey with out on the left, and Rodrygo would provide that presence and then some.
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