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ISAK HANDS IN A TRANSFER REQUEST?!?! - Discussion: How Does He Fit In With The New Signings Next Season?
18 Plays19 days ago
Louie Easton catches us up with the new signings this summer and how might we be able to lineup for the title defence.
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Transcript
00:00:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, okay,
Relaunch of the Podcast under Global Sports Network
00:00:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
okay. It is finally time for us to restart this podcast ahead of the 25-26 season at the Global Sports Podcast Network. You're listening to the Daily Liverpool Podcast.
Isak's Transfer Request and its Impact on Liverpool
00:00:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
My name is Louis Easton and we have got a lot to talk about. so um I thought today would be the perfect day to get straight back into it. as Alexander Isak has officially put in a transfer request to leave Newcastle this summer.
00:01:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm sure our friends over at the Daily Newcastle podcast will not be too pleased about that. And we've already signed their targets, Ugo Eketike, ahead of the season.
00:01:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
It is just a fantastic and bizarre time to be a Liverpool fan. um I think it's we just need to get straight into it, don't we? ah Because we've already had some signings this summer.
00:01:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Milos Kerkhez joined from Bournemouth.
Liverpool's Record Signings: Florian Wurtz and Ugo Eketike
00:01:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Florian Wurtz, breaking the transfer record for a British club, has joined from Bayer Leverkusen. Ugo Eketike has joined from Frankfurt.
00:01:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I'm missing one, aren't Oh, yes. Jeremy Frimpong has joined from Bayer Leverkusen. Of course, we've also had Armin Petsy sign for the... ah youth teams, I believe, ah from Pushkas Academy over in Hungary.
00:02:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
But, you know, ah from a first-team perspective, there's been there have been four. um And maybe a fifth on the way for Isak. Of course, we're linked with Mark Gay.
00:02:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
We haven't sold that many players. We sold, obviously, Kovine Kelleher over to Brentford, and we've given Jarrell Kwanza to Bayer Leverkusen shortly after Florian Wurtz.
Upcoming Liverpool vs AC Milan Match in Hong Kong
00:02:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
joined from there in a separate deal um but there's just so much to look forward to we've got our kit coming over next week uh liverpool are of course playing against ac milan in hong kong this weekend it's just so exciting okay um so how am i going to do this but Let's start with Alexander Isak, first and foremost, because this is a player that Liverpool have been heavily linked with.
00:03:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Newcastle have been adamant that they don't want to sell, ah so he went for Hugo Eketike instead. And Isak has now put a transfer request in He says, I don't want to join Newcastle.
00:03:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
And there is no deal made from Saudi Arabia, who he has also been linked with. um Chelsea are out of the race now as well. So let's look at Alexander Isak and why Liverpool wants to sign him.
Isak's Performance Last Season
00:03:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Last season, he scored 23 goals in 34 matches. An incredible, incredible campaign from the 25-year-old Sweden international. He also got six assists and only one yellow card in that entire season. I know he's an attacker, so it's not an impressive stat from that perspective.
00:03:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it shows you what kind of play he is. He's prolific. He can score. He can create... ah In 23-24, he also scored 21 goals in 30 Premier League matches, getting two assists. And in the season before that, 10 goals in 22 matches.
00:04:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But last season was a bit of a revelation, wasn't it? I mean, what a player. He can also play on the left wing. um And the rumour is, if Luis Diaz is to leave and go to Bayern Munich, that's another thing that's also been in the works. and Barcelona were also in the race for him before they got Marcus Rashford on loan for the season.
00:04:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
But if he is to leave... let's say about 80 million, we could then inject that money into an Alexander Isak deal. I'm sure our directors and head of football, ah Michael Edwards,
00:04:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
and ah Richard Hughes both will make the right decision on that. But it is just so exciting because it's so un-Liverpool to be going for these stars in quick succession.
00:04:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Florian Wurtz, I can't believe he's a Liverpool player. I just can't believe it. I look at all of these inside training videos, I'm sure you do as well if you're a Liverpool fan, why
Wurtz's Integration and Playmaking Skills
00:05:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
wouldn't you be? You're listening to this podcast. ah But the inside training...
00:05:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Florian Vert is just integrated with the team looks an unbelievable talent he's one of these players that can read the game perfectly doesn't need too much time to even look up from the ball to know where everyone is if he even needs to at all he's just such an incredible playmaking forward who can score goals he can play in multiple positions and um that alongside Dominic Sobosly in a similar role maybe a different role but When you have these players at our disposal, you know, Salah, Chiesa might be leaving, you know, Nunez might be leaving as well.
00:05:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
But Eketike, Cody Gakpo, all in the line, ah ready to take that spot. Obviously, Harvey Elliott might still stay for next season. Riong Moha, who looks fantastic coming up from the youth ranks.
00:05:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Wow. yeah you can't wrap your head around it. You can't grasp how much talent is in Liverpool's forward line at the moment. um And it's just a bit of uncertainty, but a really exciting time to be a Liverpool fan, because when you look at the transfer window history of Liverpool, you seem to go for that many players over the summer. Usually there's a signing in January or something halfway through the season that just comes out of nowhere, air similar to the Cody Gakpo thing.
00:06:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I believe Luis Diaz maybe joined in January. I can't remember off the top of my head, but for us to be going all out, Spending loads of money in a summer.
00:06:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just unheard of. It is absolutely unheard of. Liverpool have never been a big spending club. You look at our history as well. How many stars have we actually signed that were already proven?
00:06:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Maybe Ian Rush, but, you know, we got him back from Juve after an unsuccessful spell there where he wasn't being used um in his best role, you know, as a pressing player. He was back at the halfway line a lot of the time when he was there.
00:06:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
And maybe Thiago, but he was also battered with injuries late at the end of his career. And I think we only signed him for about 25 million. um So if we do get Isak, I just wonder how on earth is Slott going to rotate? He doesn't like to rotate.
00:07:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Remember last season, we were knackered by the time the League Cup final came around and we lost it and played terribly against Newcastle. We looked leggy against PSG as well in the Champions League.
Interest in Isak amid Transfer Speculations
00:07:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
um So we'll look into the sort of how he would fit in to the Liverpool squad after this short break. This is the place to get your supplements.
00:07:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
And a very proud sponsor of GSPN, Bionic.
00:08:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
So we are looking at Alexander Isak and Hugo Eketike, our two new strikers. Well, I'd like to say our two new strikers. Isak, I don't think an official bid has been sent in from Liverpool at the time of recording.
00:08:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But Alexander Isak, as I mentioned, 23 goals and six assists in 34 matches last season. You know what you're getting? You're getting goals and you're getting a serious threat. He's fantastic with his feet.
00:08:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
He has loads of pace and he's clinical in front of goal. He can play on the left wing. We've seen him do that ridiculous assist against Everton when he worked with absolutely no space, took on an entire defense and whipped it in for a goal.
00:09:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Of course, another option could be for the left wing, maybe Anthony Gordon. That's a player that we have also been linked heavily with. You know, he's a boyhood Liverpool fan, ah loads of pace on the left-hand side and looks like Luis Diaz is on his way out as is Federico Chiesa. So if those two are to leave, it would just be um Cody Gakpo, Luis Kumas, and Rio Ngomoa, who we have as recognized left wingers left in that position.
00:09:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
So... I'm kind of confused if we do lose Luis Diaz, would we then go in for another big left winger? Because surely, I mean, surely we won't have enough money left over ah if we sign Alexander Isek.
Eketike's Versatility for Liverpool's Forward Line
00:09:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
What I thought we could maybe do, and this is a nod to what we did last season against Manchester City, and like maybe by a Leverkusen as well, is we kind of played with a four up front. We had Curtis Jones playing up front.
00:10:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah to an extent. And we had Dominic Sobos line. They both went forward and they rotated... And they came back and, you know, Curtis Jones was sort of going out to the left hand side whilst Dominic Sobos live was going out to the right hand side. Now, I thought with the addition of Florian Verts, he could take Curtis Jones's place in that role and drift off to the left hand side.
00:10:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
He would have um Alex McAllister and Ryan Gravenberg coming up and helping out supporting the attacks ah because they can be quite good box to box midfielders if we do need that.
00:10:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But with Hugo Eketike, I can't say I've seen a lot of him, but he does seem to be one of these players who can drift around and is very confident in any area of the pitch going forward. He's got fantastic footwork in ah small places, maybe ah not nearly as clinical.
00:10:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
As Alexander Isay, I think that's fair to say. um Looking at Ugo Eketike last season, ah he got 15 goals and eight assists. So that's 23 goals and assists. I'm not sure ah how many appearances he made. haven't got that stat in front of me right now.
00:11:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, here we go. So 33 appearances, 15 goals. It's a decent output. I mean, it's better than Darwin Nunez, let's face it. I don't think it's disrespectful to be saying that.
00:11:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it just... It gives you so many options. And... I just wonder how on earth is he going to keep everyone happy? Salah's nailed on as a right winger, although AFCON is coming around and he will have to leave for a little bit. So maybe it would be a bit silly to get rid of Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott rather than just maybe one of them and rotate them in with Salah when he goes to AFCON.
00:11:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
um it's It's so difficult to say at this stage ah because we haven't seen this new squad play with Florian Wurtz and we'll have to wait until the weekend until that happens.
00:12:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah But it is so apparent that there is a very strong interest. um I mean, things we've seen on Fabrizio Romano's Twitter saying that Alexander Isak is a dream signing for Liverpool.
00:12:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
And if he's put in a transfer request, the club can't do much to keep him unless they properly you know sit down and offer him a new wage that would keep him happy and then break their own wage structure.
00:12:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think given what he's done for them, you know, he scored against us in the League Cup final and ah he's a proven goal scorer for them in all competitions.
00:12:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Maybe he has a right to make those demands. I think he absolutely does.
00:13:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm just dumbfounded by where these payments and where these contracts have come from from Liverpool, because this has just never been our style. But um we didn't spend any money last year other than Chiesa.
00:13:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
so this has just been saved up and it also feels like a sort of, okay, we'll spend all the money in this summer. We'll invest in the future. And then next summer, we don't have to spend summer after we don't have to spend necessarily.
00:13:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Maybe they're just doing that. Maybe they are, maybe they, I mean, they must've found a way around FFP. It would be so on Liverpool to break FFP. Um, But yeah, it just... Also, Eketike combined goals and assists last season by players aged 23 or under in the top five European leagues.
00:13:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
He ranked fourth overall. behind Bradley Barcola, Mason Greenwood, and Michael Elize. There you go. um So he seems like a decent signing.
00:14:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
I haven't seen him yet. I'm very excited to watch him. um Alongside the other signings we've made, Jeremy Frimpong. ah We saw a bit of him in that Stoke City match where he was overlapping on the right-hand side and just had an explosive amount of pace. In training, he wins all the drills.
00:14:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
um where it's turn and go. He's so quick. He's rapid. He can go from 0 MPH to 20 in about two seconds.
00:14:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
um So he seems like a good signing. Also, Connor Bradley, a fantastic right back. He looks so good. he scoing that ah He scored that goal against Preston. And ah Milos Kerkhez as well. He just seems the real deal going forward and tracking back. He's very, very fit.
00:14:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he'll be a great long term left back for us. um I give Robertson probably another season or two and then he's gone and then and Milos Kerkhez can take over full time in that role.
Review of Liverpool's Squad Depth and Potential Signings
00:15:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, This Liverpool team, let's just go through position by position. We've got Alisson and Mamadashvili in goal. We've got Frimpong and Bradley at right back. At centre back, we still need to get a new player, Mark Gayes, in the talks. Hopefully we can get him because he looks fantastic. He was brilliant for England in the World Cup.
00:15:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
um We've got Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Kanate, Joe Gomez, left back. ah We've got so Robertson, we've got Kerkes, and then midfield, we have got McAllister, Gravenberg, by Chetic, I think is going to leave.
00:15:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
We've got Trey Nione in that role, Curtis Jones. Number 10 role, we've got Dominic Soboslay, Florian Wurtz. Also, you can put Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones in that role.
00:15:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
On the right wing, we've still just got Salah, Elliott and Chiesa. On the left-hand side, Diaz, maybe Isak if he comes in and Diaz leaves and he can play a striker as well.
00:16:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Cody Gakpo, Rion Gamora. And up front, it's Darwin Nunez, Ugo Eketike, and potentially Alexander Isak and Jadon Dans, who I'd like to see more of next season.
00:16:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh yeah, Ben Doak as well for the right-hand side.
Challenges of Squad Rotation for Manager Arna Slott
00:16:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
So Arna Slott is going to have a huge headache here because this is a manager who does not like to rotate much. He had his main squad of 14, and other than the midfield, there's not much room for just playing the same player week in, week out.
00:16:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because these are big money signings. This is no joke. This is a Liverpool team that will be so unfamiliar from last season. But from what we've seen in Liverpool's history, it's a team that everyone knows their role and works perfectly. Ekotike looks like the perfect Liverpool signing.
00:17:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
And hopefully, if we do get Isak, we would all love him. Hopefully we can have enough rotation to keep everyone happy. ah because that is my fear at the moment.
00:17:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
But what a fear to have. Much better than the other way around. Hopefully we will see Isak sign for Liverpool very soon. You've been listening to the Daily Liverpool podcast on the Global Sports Podcast Network.
00:17:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
A quick word from our sponsor Zencaster, who we use to make these podcasts, and I'll see you for the next one. Take care.