For Liverpool fans, the 2024/25 Premier League season has been one of mixed feelings.
On the plus side, the appointment of head coach Arne Slot as Jürgen Klopp’s replacement has proven to be a masterstroke.
The team currently leads the English top flight by seven points and has advanced to the Champions League last 16, having also topped that table and recently secured a place in the Carabao Cup final.
On the minus side, there has been no news yet on whether some of their key names will extend their stays beyond the summer, and there are growing fears that this could be the final campaign in which fans see the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah in the famous red shirt.
Whilst the former’s departure would be a significant loss, Liverpool wouldn’t need to automatically sign a direct replacement.
Conor Bradley continually impresses when given chances to shine and is likely to be the new first-choice player in that role.
However, were Salah to leave, things would not be so certain, and Liverpool would be left with no alternative but to enter the transfer market; such has been the contribution made by the Egypt forward to Slot’s tactics.
Therefore, it is no surprise that the club has been linked recently with players who could fill the gap if Salah moves on to new pastures.
One name that has been heavily mentioned in dispatches is Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak.
Whilst nothing has been confirmed yet, the Sweden striker would appear to struggle to turn down a move to the Premier League leaders if they came calling, and there is no doubt that he has the quality needed to become just as much of an Anfield favourite.
With that in mind, this tactical analysis will examine Isak’s game more closely to understand why Liverpool are reportedly considering a move for his services.
The scout report will highlight different aspects of his game and show where he could fit into Arne Slot tactics at Liverpool.
It will also show who could replace him at Newcastle if he were to make the switch to Merseyside.
Alexander Isak Individual Threat
Watching Alexander Isak play makes it abundantly clear why he has become such a crowd favourite during his time at Newcastle.
His 19 goals in all competitions provide them with a constant offensive threat and, therefore, contribute significantly to their bid to return to European competition next season, as the attacking data below shows.
However, when breaking down his individual qualities, it is not only his ability to finish chances that has made him such a formidable opponent; there are other reasons why he proves to be such a handful for opponents to manage.
The first thing to mention is his touch and control of the ball, which are simply exquisite at times.
He shows a natural ability to stop it dead when needed or to angle it so as to set himself up to test whoever is in his vicinity.
This is just one example, with Jacob Murphy sending a line-splitting pass up the field and Isak allowing the ball to travel across him before controlling it with his left foot.
In doing so, he nudges the ball forward and sets himself up to slide the ball beyond Alex McCarthy in the Southampton goal for what appears to be an easy finish.
It only appeared that way because of the detail of Isak’s thinking, and not only when it came to which foot he is stronger in.
In this case, his awareness also needs to be highlighted.
He realised here that he was between Southampton pair James Bree and Jan Bednarek, and so time and space were not in his favour.
However, by allowing the ball to reach his left foot first, he enabled himself to stretch his left leg out and prevent Bree from reaching it, while Bednarek was unable to turn on the spot and was also, therefore, taken out of the game.
Therefore, while Isak’s clinical edge in front of goal is what gets Premier League fans talking more than most, it is his control and touch in situations such as this that give him the ability to keep testing opposing goalkeepers.
It has been instrumental in 52.2% of his shots being on target, and he has found the back of the net more often than not.
Another aspect of Isak’s game that stands out is his enhanced spatial awareness.
He constantly positions himself in areas where he can impact the game.
It is here that his positional versatility really comes into the equation.
He is capable of leading the line but also of stepping back if needed and operating in a secondary role.
In this case, it is an example of the latter, with Murphy in possession on the far side wing and looking to deliver it into the middle, but it is not Isak who rushes to offer the target inside the Ipswich Town goal area.
Instead, Joe Willock performs that role, moving into the gap between Harry Clarke and Sam Morsy to provide the passing option.
Isak hangs back here, opting to occupy the space that has opened up between the Ipswich lines.
This now allows him to see what is happening in front of him and to react accordingly.
It paid off here as the cross failed to find Willock and instead ricocheted off Morsy, at which point Isak was in the right place at the right time to tidy things up and to finish the chance off.
Therefore, once again, it is a case of Isak’s ability to score goals, but the detail in his play allows him to be so accurate in these areas.
It is not only in attacking situations that Isak can and has demonstrated his individual usefulness, though.
He also proves to be just as vital to his team’s play when they are out of possession.
This really came into use when Newcastle travelled to Old Trafford, with Manchester United not generally known for their speed in moving the ball around and guilty of making mistakes when in transition.
This was one time when that cost them control of the game.
It is clear that Newcastle retreated into a typical low block and forced Lisandro Martínez to make a horizontal pass towards the middle, where Casemiro was waiting.
However, the former Real Madrid player doesn’t control the ball well enough, which allows Isak, who is positioned behind him and waiting for the right chance to make a tackle, to steal in and regain the ball for his side.
The key traits in Sweden’s forward game that make this possible are his natural speed and awareness, which have already been referenced in this analysis.
Once again, Isak was watching what was happening and giving himself time and space to react as needed.
He sensed that Casemiro would make a mistake here and knew this would be the perfect opportunity to apply pressure.
With him making 1.31 interceptions per game so far this season and succeeding in 54.5% of his defensive duels, there is no doubting his defensive strengths, and they are another reason that he has become such an integral part of the furniture at St. James’ Park.
Alexander Isak Style Of Play & Game Evolution
However, whilst all of that is very evident when breaking down his game, what has arguably been the most noticeable about Alexander Isak since his arrival in the North East is how his positioning has evolved.
In his final season at Real Sociedad, he operated understandably as the centre forward and rarely drifted from the central channel.
He ended that campaign with 10 goals to his name.
In his three years at Newcastle, he has developed the capability to lead the line and play in a wider role, which has enabled manager Eddie Howe to deploy him and Callum Wilson together in numerous games.
It is something that Isak has really taken to since he started playing as a wide forward, with Newcastle looking to make better use of his pace and find different ways of exploiting their opponents’ weaknesses.
When they visited St. Mary’s Stadium, it proved particularly useful.
Southampton set up in a back three and deployed Bree as the right-sided centre-back.
As a natural full-back, the former Luton Town player was unfamiliar with this role, which was evident as he struggled to contain Isak and was often twisted inside and out for most of the game.
Isak has thrived in 1-v-1 battles in particular, and Newcastle relied on them as the match progressed.
They knew that he would naturally gravitate towards the central areas and wanted to drag players out of position, creating spaces for others to run into.
In this case, that worked out well for them as Bree failed to stop Isak’s pass travelling inside him, where Bruno Guimarães was moving to receive it.
He then did not get back out to Isak in the middle when he got on the end of the return ball and fired towards the goal.
On this occasion, Southampton were let off the hook as the shot failed to find the back of the net, but it served as a warning to them and is a sign of how much Isak contributes to his team’s play when used in roles other than as the central striker.
From Liverpool’s point of view, this will make him such a solid replacement for Salah next season if the latter leaves the Premier League leaders.
Under Slot, the Egypt captain has become known for starting wide and then cutting inside, similar to Isak here, before either feeding a pass through or shooting at goal himself.
Therefore, the former Feyenoord coach will want to add to his ranks, and there is no doubt that Isak has what it takes to be that player.
The key is that having Isak in a wider role does not work when facing sides known for being defensively suspect.
Instead, it has proven useful for Newcastle when facing more organised sides, too, with the visit of Bournemouth being a prime example.
Andoni Iraola’s side have been known this season for their robustness at the back, and teams have needed to find ways to break them down.
Having Isak again in a wide-forward role helped Newcastle create chances in this meeting.
This is one example of how that worked. Isak once again starts on the wing and then makes a typically mazy run inside, but this time, he doesn’t look to find a pass through the gaps.
Instead, his aim here was to force the initially balanced Bournemouth backline to fold in on itself, as has happened here, and to open up spaces for overlapping runs.
Murphy here obliged and did just that, giving Isak a chance to send the ball in his direction then.
By this stage, Bournemouth was on the back foot and continually needed to readjust.
That meant Anthony Gordon was left free to fire at goal once Murphy had cut the ball back into his path.
Whilst nothing came of this chance, with Iraola’s outfit holding firm and eventually neutralising the attack, it was another example of what teams get from playing Isak in areas other than through the middle.
It might not have led to a win on this occasion, with Newcastle suffering a disappointing defeat to the Dorset side, but it has been a tactic that has paid off for them on numerous occasions as the campaign has progressed.
Alexander Isak Statistics 2024/2025
When looking at this graphic, it becomes clear just how much Isak’s game has developed as his time at St. James’ Park has gone on, with there being a variety of areas in which he ranks highly in percentile terms.
This is indicated by his lofty rating for shots and touches in the opposing penalty area per game (he has averaged 4.47 of the latter in all competitions), as should be expected of a striker of his quality.
The fact that he ranks within the top two percentiles for goal contributions and dangerous passes per game is not something that would have been anticipated when he first arrived at Newcastle.
Therefore, that shows how his game now has different dimensions added to it. With four assists recorded already this season (doubling his tally for the entirety of the last campaign), he is a player full of confidence and who is adjusting well to the expanded role that he has been handed in the Newcastle team.
When considering all of this, it is no wonder that he is now considered to be one of the game’s best strikers at the current time.
How Alexander Isak Fits Liverpool Tactics
The scout report so far has focused heavily on Alexander Isak’s individual traits and what they bring to his team, and it has indicated plenty of reasons for him becoming such a key part of Newcastle’s on-field identity.
However, attention must now turn towards Liverpool’s reportedly strong interest in acquiring his services.
This football analysis now focuses on why he could be a good fit for them and the roles he could occupy if he did make a switch to Anfield at the end of the campaign.
If Liverpool were to sign Isak, they would first benefit from his dynamic movement, which has been a consistent theme throughout the scouting report.
It is not only his ability to drop wide that really catches the eye, though.
He has consistently excelled at penetrating deeper pockets of space and playing a key role in build-up play, both at Newcastle and at his previous clubs.
That can be seen clearly here, with him receiving a pass from former Southampton right-back Tino Livramento inside his own half, but what needs to be mentioned here is what Isak does next.
In most cases, players in this position would instantly turn and send the ball into the path of a teammate, but Isak doesn’t and instead tends to hold onto it for a period of time.
He is not averse to dribbling it horizontally if needed and if no passing option presents itself.
That is something he did a lot of at Sociedad, and which Newcastle have built their tactics around since he switched La Liga for the Premier League.
At the time of this writing, Isak’s passing accuracy was 73.55% this season, so he was given the freedom to implement this side of his game whenever possible.
The fact that the trio of Murphy, Guimarães and Willock are all making the opposite movement reflects how they know what Isak will do here, and so the team’s focus once he does drop back in this manner is to give him ways to progress the ball into advanced spaces then.
On this occasion, Isak chose to use Murphy, but Ipswich did enough to close down the angles.
However, Liverpool employed a similar strategy against Wolves at the weekend.
Diogo Jota performed a similar holding role, and Luis Díaz and Salah made runs behind him.
This is certainly something that will have piqued their interest.
However, it is crucial to note that Isak can perform this role even if he does not start as the lead striker, which is another factor that could make him the perfect fit for the Slot.
With the latter at the helm, Liverpool have become known for operating in a 4-2-3-1 structure.
They rely on the midfield to move the ball through the thirds whenever they are in transition.
For that reason, the link-up play between Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, and Ryan Gravenberch (among others) has been central to their success.
If Isak were to join them, he too could be utilised to get the ball moving forward, operating in the playmaker role that Szoboszlai has primarily filled, or even as a second striker if Slot felt that was a better position for him to be in.
If Liverpool explored that option, it would allow Isak to get into spaces between opposing lines and connect the dots in the manner that he has done here.
Dan Burn carried the ball into the central third before freeing up Isak to feed it into the path of Willock (out of picture) to run onto behind the Ipswich defensive line.
Whilst it might not have materialised into anything this time, with Ipswich again cancelling out the attack, there is no escaping from the fact that Isak has registered a 76.2% passing accuracy for the campaign so far.
Therefore, getting him on the ball and allowing him to play a key role in creating chances will certainly allow him to be at his best, and it could give Liverpool food for thought about how they use his abilities.
That dynamism has also been demonstrated in other ways, such as when Isak leads the line and yet wants to link the play simultaneously.
This is a perfect example of how his anticipation and ability to read the game make that combination possible.
He receives the ball in front of the Arsenal back line and instantly lays it off for Sean Longstaff to control.
However, while some in his position might have stayed where they were and watched the following stages of the move unfold, Isak recognises what will happen next and adjusts his own positioning to prepare for his next involvement.
As a result, he drifts behind Declan Rice here and into the gap between Jurrien Timber and Gabriel Magalhães without seemingly being monitored.
Then he waits for the inevitable cross to come in from Gordon as soon as the ball had been shifted in his direction by Longstaff.
With his height and aforementioned speed, it proved to be the right decision.
He ended up connecting with the ball under little pressure, adding another goal to his seasonal tally.
Question marks will have been raised about Arsenal’s defence, but Isak deserves credit for the intelligence he showed here.
When considering that he brings together the movement of Jota and the forward presence of Darwin Núñez into one package, he could prove to be an astute addition to Liverpool’s front line.
Possible Newcastle United Replacements For Alexander Isak
Of course, looking at what Alexander Isak would bring to Liverpool only provides half of the story, with the other half being the size of the gap that his exit would leave behind at Newcastle.
Howe’s side would certainly need to invest in the squad if they did lose their prized asset this summer, and the fact that so much of their game has now been built around Isak means that they would be on the hunt for a very specific profile.
With that in mind, this analysis will now suggest three players who could go some way towards replacing the Sweden forward and where they could fit into Newcastle’s system should they navigate visa regulations without any issues.
Alexander Isak Vs Rômulo Statistics 2024/2025
The first player that Newcastle could target is Brazilian striker Rômulo.
Currently featuring for Göztepe in the Turkish Süper Lig, on loan from Athletico Paranaense in his home nation, he has scored nine goals in 18 appearances for the İzmir-based club this season and has provided seven assists.
Therefore, it is clear that he can both score and create, and thus replicate both aspects of Isak’s game ably.
However, one of the other positive aspects of signing Rômulo would be his ability to carry the ball forward on his own.
This graphic shows how he and Isak rank in the same percentile bands for passes and progressive passes made.
The overall passing accuracy would be lower than Newcastle currently get with Isak.
Still, it might be that they sign Rômulo as a goal scorer and then hand the task of providing him with firepower to others around him or sign another to fill that part of their tactics.
It’s also possible that they decide to develop that part of his game, given that he’s still just 23 and has plenty of time to add new layers.
Alexander Isak Vs Thierno Barry Statistics 2024/2025
Another option could be French forward Thierno Barry, who currently features for Villarreal after joining the Spanish side last summer.
In 23 appearances, he has contributed seven goals and three assists and netted 14 times for Basel last time out, so he would go some way to replacing Isak’s goals in that sense.
However, his ability to play in wider areas would fill the hole that the Swedish attacker would leave open.
At Villarreal, he has been known for playing on the wings if needed, and that movement could turn Newcastle’s attention towards him rather than another potential target, enabling them to maintain their current brand of football.
This is not to say that he would offer the same passing accuracy and quality of through balls that Isak does.
The statistical comparison between the two in this graphic indicates his poor percentile ranking for that part of his game.
However, with him showing a constant willingness to penetrate the opposing goal area, as shown by his having the same ranking for shots per game and touches in the opposing goal area, as well as his significant aerial threat, Newcastle may feel that the basics are there and that they can work on the rest over time.
Alexander Isak Vs Promise David Statistics 2024/2025
The final option that this scout report will put forward is Union Saint-Gilloise’s Promise David.
Whilst not a player that many will have considered a potential Isak replacement, the Canadian has proven himself a threat in front of goal.
He scored eight times in 20 appearances for the Belgian side this season and set up two others for teammates.
Positionally, he doesn’t drift out to the wings as much as Barry does, but what could make him worth looking at is his ability to play as a second striker, meaning that he could offer Newcastle more vertical depth.
While this graphic shows that his passing accuracy lags behind that of Isak, he does rank highly in terms of dangerous passes made.
He contributes to fewer goals in percentile terms, so it can be inferred that he is a player who likes to get on the ball and make things happen.
Add to that the fact that he possesses the same number of shots per game as Isak and sits higher than him for touches in the opposing penalty area, and David could be a more complete player for Newcastle to target.
For that reason, he might not be a bad player for the Tyneside club to monitor his progress.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this tactical analysis has taken a closer look at Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak.
It highlights the many roles that the Sweden international has on the field for his current employers and provides an indication of why he has become one of the hottest properties in the global game. It also suggests who could replace him at Newcastle if he did move on in the summer.
As the scout report has highlighted, Liverpool’s interest is about more than simply Isak’s goal threat.
There are so many different aspects of his game that will interest Arne Slot.
With significant questions surrounding Salah’s future, Liverpool will undoubtedly be looking to bolster their forward options when the transfer window opens.
It appears that Isak is the player they have set their sights on, as the one to bring what they feel is currently missing or who could be if their current top scorer bids farewell.
They will face significant competition if they are to secure his signature, though, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona all reportedly interested in adding him to their ranks.
At the same time, Newcastle will undoubtedly do all they can to retain him beyond the summer and will put a significant price on his head, especially given the very real possibility of them featuring in European competition next season.
It is certainly an intriguing situation to watch, and it has the potential to last the majority of the window.
It will be interesting to see how rumours about his future develop between now and the end of the campaign.
