Liverpool can form “world-class” duo with bid pending

Liverpool were told to trust in Arne Slot by Jurgen Klopp at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, and the Reds rode the crest of that wave of faith right through to the league title.

They won it confidently. They won it emphatically. Manchester City and Arsenal and the rest were dispatched by an outfit who, quite simply, were better than everyone else.

Now Liverpool have taken things to the next level, pulling in fresh faces from every which way in the summer transfer window to reinforce Slot’s squad ahead of the 2025/26 season.

The Reds will have their sights set on a successful Premier League title defence, but they will also be hungry to win the Champions League, and the FA Cup and Carabao Cup too.

Pre-season performances should be taken with a pinch of salt, but Florian Wirtz’s start to life as a Liverpool player has certainly fuelled hopes that these lofty goals are within reach.

Florian Wirtz’s pre-season show-stopper

Wirtz signed for Liverpool in June for a £100m fixed fee. Potential add-ons could take that to £116m, which would make the 22-year-old the most expensive footballer in British history.

His illustrious career beginnings with Bayer Leverkusen have led him this far, though many rivals will wait to see how he fares amid new surroundings. But then Wirtz’s talent is off the scales, and he’s undoubtedly got the physical profile to match within the English game.

Across pre-season so far, the Germany international has shone, bagging a brace of assists against Stoke City back in England before jetting over to Asia, featuring against AC Milan and then picking up the Man of the Match award against Japanese side Yokohama FM.

He’s the real deal, all right, and Liverpool must know they have hit the jackpot. Wirtz is the cream of the crop of arrivals, but he may yet be trumped by another.

Liverpool lining up new striker

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are now putting a British-record package together for Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, just waiting for the perfect moment to show their hand.

Isak, 25, has informed the Magpies that he wishes to pursue a move to Merseyside, having refused to go on their pre-season tour and instead using his former club Real Sociedad’s facilities.

One of the best strikers in the world, Isak would cost a staggering sum, with Newcastle expected to demand £150m for their talisman.

Why Liverpool want Alexander Isak

If Liverpool were to sign Isak, they would partner Wirtz with a truly special star. The German playmaker has already been called “the best midfielder in the world” by former Leverkusen striker Patrick Helmes, and Isak is regarded by many – including pundit Alan Shearer – to be a “world-class” forward.

Building this new-look team is a staggering display of FSG’s intent, but the profiles of Wirtz and Isak could evoke a sense of nostalgia, potentially handing Slot his own version of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.

Torres’s game was built on pace and power, and this aligned perfectly with the robust creativity of Gerrard, who marshalled his midfield while playmaking for his Spanish frontman. The results were incredible.

Arguably at his career-finest when playing for the Anfield side, El Nino notched 101 goal contributions from 142 appearances as a Liverpool striker.

The legend who is Gerrard helped him reach that pinnacle, instrumental as he widened the scope of the Spaniard’s potential.

And Torres knew it. When the Scouser hung up his boots way back when, the forward said this: “I always say the best player I played with is Steven Gerrard. I found he was the player who completed my game. I think my level got into a different dimension when I was on the pitch with him.”

Fabrizio Romano has praised Isak for being a “machine” in front of goal, but he’s also elegant, athletic and creative in his attacking play. In this manner, he’s a bit like Torres.

As per FBref, the Sweden international ranked among the top 16% of strikers across Europe last season for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for progressive passes, the top 7% for progressive carries and the top 8% for successful take-ons per 90.

Truly, he’s the all-encompassing number nine. Torres was too. And with Wirtz pinging balls through to him, using his seamless movement to shift from left to right, left to right, there’s no telling how dangerous Slot’s Liverpool could be over the coming years.

Moreover, there’s a certain semblance between Isak at Newcastle and Torres in his Liverpool heyday, the strikers comparable in their rate of scoring and supplying for teammates.

If the duo manage to bag themselves a partnership at Slot’s Liverpool next season, fans may well be treated to some incredible new football, but also a sense of the past, keeping the spirit of the club alive as they chase down more honours.

Whether Liverpool succeed in prising Isak away from Newcastle this summer is still open to the court, but the Merseysiders know that the £120k-per-week talent wants to join them, and they know that they have a world-class playmaker in Wirtz who could create a sensational new duo.

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