Alexander Isak has not yet found his feet at Liverpool, but Kenny Dalglish believes he could form a strong partnership with one of his new teammates.
Kenny Dalglish managed some excellent players at Liverpool, so he knows what he is talking about and the former Reds boss has given his backing to Alexander Isak.
The striker from Sweden has not had the easiest start to life at Anfield. He only made the move from Newcastle on transfer deadline day, so he was unable to link up with his new teammates in pre-season.
Isak joined Liverpool in a deal worth £125m after a transfer saga which saw him receive a lot of abuse from his former club’s fanbase. On top of this, he has been competing with Hugo Ekitike for a spot in Liverpool’s first team.
Therefore, it has not been a straightforward transition for the prolific goalscorer.
Despite this, Dalglish is confident that Isak will come good for Liverpool and he believes there is one player at Liverpool who could form a dangerous attacking partnership with the centre forward when they become more familiar with each other’s games.
He told the Stick to Football podcast: “He Florian Wirtz can see what’s in front of him, and once he gets it…I saw [Alexander] Isak the other day, the second-half when he came on I think, and he’s talking to one of the boys about his movement, what he would do.
“And the boy is sitting and listening to him and once they get on the same wavelength…by the way, that wee fella, he could open a can of soup.”
Like Isak, Wirtz is another big money signing who has already received criticism for his displays. The pair may not have matched each other’s rhythm yet, but Dalglish’s reveal shows they are working on building a fluent relationship on the pitch.
In fairness, the former Newcastle striker has only made seven appearances and not all these were starts. He has just the one goal to his name, which he scored against Southampton in a 2-1 Carabao Cup victory.
Isak got his first Liverpool assist before the international break against Chelsea, but he was unable to make a difference in his most recent start, as Manchester United shocked Arne Slot’s team.
Playing for Liverpool comes with a high level of pressure and a price tag greater than £100m certainly heightens expectations, but it is important to give Isak time.
He was exceptional for his previous club and as Dalglish has said, he and Wirtz could be the duo Liverpool need once they are better acquainted on the pitch.
