Jamie Carragher has sent a stark warning to Liverpool and Arne Slot, insisting the Premier League champions are gambling with their title defence.
The Anfield legend believes that the“all-or-nothing” pursuit of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak is a risk that could cost Liverpool their Premier League crown.
Carragher admits that while Isak would unquestionably strengthen Arne Slot’s squad, Liverpool cannot afford to waste the final days of the transfer window banking solely on landing the Swede, and has urged the club to begin drawing up a ‘plan B’ immediately.
The reigning champions saw a club-record £110 million bid rejected by Newcastle earlier in the transfer window, and with the Magpies under no pressure to sell, Carragher fears the Reds are entering dangerous territory.
“Slot will not defend the crown with only three out-and-out attackers of Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Hugo Ekitike.
They cannot carry the goalscoring burden without at least one more, preferably two, top-class operators across the front line, especially as Salah will be on Africa Cup of Nations duty in December. Liverpool must be ruthless. It cannot be ‘Isak or no one’.”
Carragher also hit out at Isak’s stance at Newcastle, branding his “refusal to play” unacceptable and warning that his impact on Tyneside has been “overblown.”
The Swede missed United’s goalless draw with Aston Villa on the opening weekend and has not trained with Eddie Howe’s squad since the saga began, missing their pre-season as a result.
Slot has overseen sweeping changes in attack this summer. Luis Díaz departed for Bayern Munich and Darwin Núñez was sold, while Diogo Jota’s tragic passing has left a gaping hole in Liverpool’s front line. Hugo Ekitike has arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt, joining Salah, Gakpo and Federico Chiesa as recognised senior forwards.
Promising talents such as Rio Ngumoha and Jayden Danns will hope for opportunities, but Carragher fears the current depth is nowhere near enough.
Liverpool’s 4-2 victory over Bournemouth on the opening night was encouraging Salah, Gakpo and Ekitike and Chiesa all found the net yet Carragher remains unconvinced.
Despite heavy spending this summer, Carragher believes the Reds have taken more away from the attack than they have added.
“After Díaz’s exit for Bayern Munich there was an assumption they had a younger replacement lined up. But nothing has yet come to fruition.”
Liverpool’s pursuit of Isak is further complicated by Newcastle’s own struggles. Howe’s side want to bring in two strikers before entertaining any sale, but a £40 million bid for Brentford’s Yoane Wissa was rejected almost instantly this week.
Isak, meanwhile, has gone on the offensive. In a bombshell statement on earlier this week, he accused Newcastle of breaking promises — claims swiftly dismissed by the club — who have doubled down on their insistence he will not be leaving St James’ Park.
Carragher, however, believes the club cannot afford to wait indefinitely.
“The club must accept that it is not going to happen in this transfer window if a deal is not struck by early next week.”
Perhaps the greatest concern, in Carragher’s eyes, is Mohamed Salah’s absence later this season. The talisman is expected to join Egypt at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, which runs deep into the winter months of the campaign.
Salah’s departure could see Slot without his most reliable source of goals for up to six weeks including crucial Premier League fixtures and potentially the Champions League knockout rounds.
That, Carragher argues, makes reinforcements even more urgent.
“They cannot carry the goalscoring burden without at least one more, preferably two, top-class operators.”
For all of Salah’s brilliance, the simple fact is that Liverpool’s squad will be stretched to breaking point during his international duty.
The arrival of Florian Wirtz has provided Liverpool with fresh invention in midfield, but Carragher argues the German is not the solution to the glaring lack of strikers.
“Wirtz will offer huge creativity and has shown that he has an eye for goal, but he is not the out-and-out attacker Liverpool have so often relied on,”
Carragher’s assessment underlines the urgency of the situation. Liverpool have long been admired for their transfer acumen, but with the window closing fast and Newcastle digging in without another elite forward, their title defence is already in jeopardy.
