It's not Ekitike: Slot could axe £60m Liverpool "machine" if Isak signs

Liverpool's season starts now. Though the Reds were defeated at Wembley last Sunday, Crystal Palace lifting the Community Shield after winning the penalty shootout, few fans would have been left reeling by the blow.

But the curtain-raiser did give the club a taste of Arne Slot's new squad, with expensive summer signings Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike combining to score a well-worked opening goal. Also making his debut, Jeremie Frimpong's cross after 20 minutes arced fortuitously beyond the impressive Dean Henderson.

But now, the reigning Premier League champions host Bournemouth in the opening match of the top-flight campaign, with sights set on retaining the crown that was so spectacularly won last year, Slot's first after replacing Jurgen Klopp in the dugout.

Despite the remarkable nature of Liverpool's summer spending, options are rather thin at the moment. Particularly, the Merseysiders offer little in the way of defensive depth. That does, however, appear set to change.

Up top, greater strength. Though that said, Liverpool haven't yet been able to pull off a record-breaking deal for Newcastle United's Alexander Isak, who, as one of the finest strikers in the world, would complete the frontline.

Liverpool still chasing Alexander Isak

Since joining Newcastle from Real Sociedad for £63m in 2022, Isak has only gone from strength to strength, blooming into a world-class finisher but also a forward of impressive flair and finesse.

Isak's relationship at Newcastle has disintegrated as he pushes to sign for Liverpool, who have already seen a formal offer worth an initial £110m rejected this summer.

Some would say the protracted pursuit of the Sweden star has become unsavoury, with Isak ostracising himself from Eddie Howe's plans, but it's a complex matter and Liverpool are patiently making headway.

The hopes of integrating him ahead of the now-arrived campaign have proved fruitless, though, and the Anfield side must prepare for Bournemouth without the 25-year-old and all the depth and quality he would provide.

Liverpool team news

Joe Gomez has returned to first-team training after picking up a minor Achilles injury during Liverpool's pre-season camp in Japan, though it's highly unlikely Slot would hand him a starting berth.

The most prominent absence will be Ryan Gravenberch, who, after missing out last week due to the birth of his first child, is suspended after being shown a red card against Crystal Palace on the final day of the 2024/25 season.

In his place, Alexis Mac Allister could hop back into the starting mix, having been benched at Wembley due to a lack of fitness. However, with Curtis Jones operating so smoothly in a deep-lying role last week, completing all 53 of his attempted passes, he may well reprise his position.

And should that take place, Slot has an interesting opportunity to field a line-up which could get the squad ready for a potential future with Isak at the spearhead.

The easy assumption for Liverpool, were they to succeed in signing Isak this month, would be to drop Gakpo and shuffle Ekitike out onto the left flank.

In Slot's world, Liverpool have become more structured and patient in the build-up, with the rise of Gravenberch allowing for the transitional flow to be carried through the centre. With Trent Alexander-Arnold now playing for Real Madrid, expect that impetus to remain intact.

However, were Isak and Ekitike to play together in a sort of 4-2-2-2, the Reds could see a renewed focus on wide play, with Mohamed Salah stretching out to the right and Wirtz drifting left to accommodate the two mobile strikers.

With the newfound energy and pace of Milos Kerkez and Frimpong on the flanks, overlaps could become commonplace down Anfield Road, with the creative flair of both further supplementing Ekitike and Isak in the final third.

And though the respective forwards are considered to be similar - both athletically dynamic and hard workers off the ball; each endowed with a technical aptitude that is beyond most number nines - Isak is clearly the more refined and streamlined goalscorer.

The forwards are competent enough that this could work a treat in theory, but it would require the sacrifice of another starting member. Gravenberch, who indeed misses out against Bournemouth, is the transitional linchpin of Slot's midfield, but it could see Dominik Szoboszlai's starting berth taken from him.

The £120k-per-week Szoboszlai is one of Liverpool's most tenacious and industrious players, having enjoyed steady progress across his two terms at Anfield after joining from RB Leipzig for £60m in 2023.

But with Jones playing so confidently in Gravenberch's stead last week, and Mac Allister presumably fit enough to make his first start of the season, there might not be room for the Hungarian from the outset.

Against the Eagles, Szoboszlai won three tackles and won four of his eight contested duels, emphasising the reasoning behind Slot dropping him deeper to shift Wirtz into the line-up.

Dominik Szoboszlai - Stats vs Crystal Palace Stats (* per game) # Minutes played 90' Goals 0 Assists 0 Touches 75 Shots (on target) 2 (2) Accurate passes 55/63 (87%) Key passes 3 Dribbles 0/0 Tackles 3 Interceptions 1 Duels won 4/8 Data via Sofascore

It was, make no mistake, a fine performance from the 24-year-old, and one which might see him play an important role across the term ahead.

His drive is something special, with content creator Asim Mahmood previously hailing the all-action midfielder for being a "machine" in the centre.

But to ensure the fluency of a potential structural shift with Isak at the front, Slot might be inclined to indeed drop Szoboszlai against the Cherries and field Gakpo in his typical left-sided forward role - though with a marked focus on cutting inside and promoting his goalscoring ability, thus mimicking Isak and allowing Wirtz to move out onto the flank.

Given that Salah has enjoyed such success from a playmaking standpoint as he has entered the later stages of his prime years - no Premier League player created more big chances than the Egyptian (27) last year - and Wirtz is considered to be "a genius" by Xabi Alonso for his flair, passing and vision, Liverpool would surely have the tools to create and work effectively, even if Szoboszlai drops out and awaits an impact from the bench.

It's a shame that Liverpool have reached a position where elite-level players are forced to sit on the bench to make room for another. There are worse problems to have for a football fan, though, it must be said.

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