Alexander Isak: The Star Who Stalled — Why Liverpool’s Big Gamble Isn’t Paying Off Yet

Alexander Isak's best form seems a distant memory, dating back to February. Even his goal for Newcastle in their Carabao Cup final victory over Liverpool in March felt like a fleeting glimpse of a star whose influence was already fading.

For the most expensive player in British football history, eight months is a long time to appear either half-fit or, more worryingly, half-interested. This was the impression he left during his final, turbulent months on Tyneside.

Since then, Isak has fallen into a professional rut. While his bank account may be well-cushioned, his career looks all the poorer for having forced his dream move to Liverpool. What was meant to be a dream now appears to be a nightmare.

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During his last days at Newcastle, a period extending into the previous season, coaching staff noticed a growing distance. The eagerness and close connection they once shared with the player had vanished.

"We can't get near him," one insider commented, a statement made even before Isak went on strike and became literally unreachable.

Isak had seemingly turned his back on the very coaching that had propelled him to greatness. And he was truly great. While some might call it disrespectful, it now looks more like an act of career self-sabotage.

He appeared to believe he was the finished product, capable of summoning his powers at will in a new environment. However, lost in the turmoil of his contentious summer transfer were his form and fitness, both of which remain missing in action.

From Merseyside to Stockholm, Isak has failed to perform as expected. His talent seems scrambled, and his performances certainly don't justify his £125 million price tag.

Since his September 1st move to Anfield, he has scored just one goal in nine appearances for Liverpool and Sweden. Equally concerning is his failure to register a single shot on target in the Premier League. He isn't just missing chances; he isn't getting them.

Last season, Jacob Murphy assisted eight of Isak's 23 Premier League goals. As one online observer noted, "Liverpool bought the iPhone but not the charger." There's some truth to this—the pair shared a remarkable on-field connection—but Isak is a forward fully capable of creating his own opportunities. So why are defences finding him so easy to contain?

Liverpool's official stance, a mix of logic and hope, is that Isak has only just completed his pre-season. They argue it is unfortunate that this period of adjustment has played out during competitive matches. Manager Arne Slot has maintained a relaxed attitude, suggesting there's no cause for alarm and that everything will soon fall into place.

But the problem is precisely that there has been nothing to see, aside from a lone goal against Southampton in the League Cup. The "pre-season" argument would be more convincing if Isak had been injured. Instead, he has trained daily since early July, even if he was training alone through August, at one point using the facilities of his former club, Real Sociedad.

Those closest to him insisted he would be unfazed by the controversy surrounding his strike. He was accused of betrayal, but they claimed he was single-minded enough to believe he was being true to himself by securing the move he wanted.

However, watching him recently reveals a subdued, almost doubtful player. The Kop has yet to embrace him with a unified chant, largely because he has given them little to sing about.

At Newcastle, even when not at his sharpest, he played with a swagger, confident that he was the main event. At his peak, Isak is an entertainer—blending the gait of a marathon runner, the speed of a sprinter, and the precision of an archer. Lately, for both club and country, he has looked more like a relay runner passively waiting for the baton.

Could it be that the effort of engineering his exit from Newcastle, a process that began in the spring, has taken a mental toll as well as a physical one? He appeared regretful during the international break when asked if he had spoken to Eddie Howe since leaving. "No," he replied.

Burning so many bridges—with Howe, Jason Tindall, Graeme Jones, and the entire coaching staff that nurtured him, not to mention a whole fanbase—is unlikely to leave anyone feeling good about themselves.

On the penultimate weekend of last season, with Newcastle needing a win at Arsenal to virtually secure Champions League football, club insiders were saddened when Isak, already in London with the squad, declared himself unfit to play on the morning of the match. Newcastle went on to lose 1-0.

Sources indicate that by then, he was well aware of Liverpool's interest. That day effectively marked the end of his meaningful contribution to Newcastle, even though his performances had been declining for some time.

The impact of his long and acrimonious departure on his rhythm, instinct, and self-belief should not be underestimated. Slot, however, disagrees, attributing the slump solely to fitness.

"The outside world can, from now on, say we have the one we signed," the Liverpool manager stated ahead of Sunday's game against Manchester United, attempting to draw a line under the saga.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has asserted that striker Alexander Isak is now fully fit, a statement that serves as both a warning to rivals and a challenge to the player himself.

Slot acknowledged the Swedish international's difficult start since his high-profile move, explaining the unusual circumstances of building a player's fitness during competitive matches.

"The first five or six weeks, of course we had the player we signed, but he was not completely ready yet," Slot explained.

"He was just getting fitter and fitter, but he had to do this in a Premier League game. This is not normal for a player."

The manager highlighted the lack of preseason or friendly matches to ease Isak into the squad, forcing the club to use high-stakes league and Champions League fixtures to bring him up to speed.

"We have signed him for six years... we have to go through this period of playing him where ideally you would use him earlier in a friendly match," Slot continued.

"But there is no time in the middle of the season for a friendly match, so we had to build him up playing Premier League matches."

Slot's declaration that Isak is now at peak condition comes ahead of a crucial match against Manchester United, a team against whom the striker has historically struggled, scoring just once in eight encounters. The manager's words imply that the time for excuses is over.

"If you want to make a difference at the highest level of football, because that is what the Premier League is, then you need to be 100 percent," Slot stated.

"I think I can safely say he is 100 percent now."

Liverpool has provided extensive support to help Isak reach this point. The club's performance and medical departments, led by Ruben Peeters and Jonathan Power, created a specialized fitness plan for the forward. This included modified training sessions and scheduled rest periods to manage his physical load.

However, Isak's recent performances during a string of defeats to Crystal Palace, Galatasaray, and Chelsea have been underwhelming. In the loss at Selhurst Park, he was substituted late in the game after an AI tool flagged a high risk of injury based on his step balance, indicating he was physically and perhaps figuratively out of sync.

His struggles continued with just four touches in 30 minutes against Galatasaray and only two touches inside the box during 74 minutes at Stamford Bridge. Notably, he attempted no dribbles—a signature part of his game—across any of those three matches.

While on-field chemistry with teammates like Mo Salah may take time to develop, the expectation for individual brilliance has been high. In contrast, his replacement at Newcastle, Nick Woltemade, has adapted quickly, scoring four goals in five starts despite also being new to the Premier League.

Upon Isak's arrival, captain Virgil van Dijk reminded him that joining the champions was just the beginning of the hard work. With Slot now confirming his full fitness, the time has come for Isak to deliver the "stardust" performances he was signed for. A standout display against Manchester United could be the moment he truly announces his arrival at Anfield.