{"id":361056,"date":"2025-12-20T19:50:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-20T19:50:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/361056\/"},"modified":"2025-12-20T19:50:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-20T19:50:09","slug":"liverpool-should-have-quick-answer-to-saudi-arabia-interest-in-alexander-isak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/361056\/","title":{"rendered":"Liverpool should have quick answer to Saudi Arabia interest in Alexander Isak"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Alexander Isak&#8217;s Liverpool career has yet to go to plan, with the former Newcastle striker scoring just two goals for the Merseyside club since his record-breaking transfer<\/p>\n<p>Fasika Zelealem Senior Sports Reporter <\/p>\n<p>16:07, 20 Dec 2025<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1_Alexander-Isak.jpg\" alt=\"Alexander Isak looks before a Liverpool match\" loading=\"eager\"  \/>Alexander Isak&#8217;s start to life at Liverpool has been the stuff of nightmares(Image: Ciancaphoto Studio, Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Liverpool should offer up a swift no when it comes to transfer interest from Saudi Arabia for Alexander Isak&#8217;s services.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">It&#8217;s been just over three months since the Reds <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpool.com\/liverpool-fc-news\/features\/alexander-isak-transfer-confirmed-fee-32390652\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"splashed out a British record transfer fee of $169 million (\u00a3125 million) for the striker&#039;s servicesLink opens in a new tab.\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">splashed out a British record transfer fee of $169 million (\u00a3125 million) for the striker&#8217;s services<\/a>. The Swede enjoyed a career-best year with Newcastle last season, where he netted 23 league goals and six assists while winning the Carabao Cup against <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpool.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"the RedsLink opens in a new tab.\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">the Reds<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpool.com\/all-about\/alexander-isak\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">Isak<\/a>, 26, was only bettered in the Premier League goal-scoring charts by current teammate Mohamed Salah, with his transfer saga becoming the center of the summer window. The move was only completed on deadline day.<\/p>\n<p>READ MORE: <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpool.com\/liverpool-fc-news\/features\/tottenham-liverpool-live-score-updates-33094714\" data-tmdatatrack=\"read-more\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"33094714\" data-tmdatatrack-source=\"editorial\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tottenham vs Liverpool LIVE: Team news, build-up, how to watch, TV channel<\/a>READ MORE: <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpool.com\/liverpool-fc-news\/liverpool-harvey-elliott-transfer-villa-33095248\" data-tmdatatrack=\"read-more\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"33095248\" data-tmdatatrack-source=\"editorial\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Harvey Elliott was left &#8216;in tears&#8217; by Liverpool transfer decision as Aston Villa nightmare continues<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">An initial slow start at Anfield was to be expected given his lack of a preseason, but as we slowly approach January, Isak looks a shadow of the player who was lighting up St. James&#8217; Park for three years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The striker has scored just two goals in 15 appearances this season, with just one of his strikes coming in the Premier League.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Struggles with form and injuries mean he&#8217;s been in and out of Arne Slot&#8217;s starting line-up, with fellow summer signing <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpool.com\/liverpool-fc-news\/features\/hugo-ekitike-danny-murphy-praise-33054484\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Hugo Ekitike hugely impressing in his placeLink opens in a new tab.\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">Hugo Ekitike hugely impressing in his place<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3_Liverpool-v-Sunderland-Premier-League.jpg\" alt=\"Alexander Isak was relieved after scoring his first Premier League goal for Liverpool\" loading=\"lazy\"  \/>It&#8217;s been a difficult start to life at Liverpool for Alexander Isak(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Ekitike, who is three years younger than Isak, has bagged a club-leading 10 goals across all competitions and has made himself a key part of Slot&#8217;s Reds, who are now unbeaten in their last five games. Amid Isak&#8217;s struggles to stamp himself at Anfield, Spanish reports state that clubs in the Saudi Pro League are open to signing the Sweden international in a stunning January switch.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Several outfits in the Middle East, where ex-Reds stars Fabinho, Sadio Mane, and Georginio Wijnaldum ply their trade, are said to be willing to fork out huge offers for the striker.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Plenty in the media have had their say on Isak, with <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpool.com\/liverpool-fc-news\/features\/alexander-isak-goals-wayne-rooney-33086760\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Wayne Rooney admitting the Swede doesn&#039;t deserve to play ahead of EkitikeLink opens in a new tab.\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">Wayne Rooney admitting the Swede doesn&#8217;t deserve to play ahead of Ekitike<\/a> on current form. Speaking on <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sounds\/play\/p0m7km99\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"The Wayne Rooney ShowLink opens in a new tab.\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">The Wayne Rooney Show<\/a>, the Manchester United icon previously said: &#8220;I wouldn&#8217;t play <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpool.com\/all-about\/alexander-isak\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">Isak<\/a>; he hasn&#8217;t looked ready since coming from Newcastle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;He hasn&#8217;t trained, hasn&#8217;t had a pre-season. It&#8217;s so important. It&#8217;s so difficult when you don&#8217;t have a pre-season. He might&#8217;ve done stuff by himself, but he&#8217;s paying the price for it. On performances, he doesn&#8217;t deserve to be playing ahead of Ekitike.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1_GettyImages-2242028326.jpg\" alt=\"The Swede faces tough competition to start due to Hugo Ekitike's form\" loading=\"lazy\"  \/>The Swede faces tough competition to start due to Hugo Ekitike&#8217;s form(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Isak&#8217;s excellence on the pitch may seem like a lifetime ago, but it&#8217;s still very much in the mind of Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven, who named the striker as the hardest opponent he&#8217;s faced in his career.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">During his appearance on <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/FLDOKpEk13c\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">The Overlap<\/a> earlier this week, the Dutchman told Gary Neville: &#8220;So the game we played against Newcastle when we lost, the game I slipped as well. But this game, Isak was different level, so at this point I was like, &#8216;He\u2019s a top-class player.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;I knew he was top class, but this game I was like, [he\u2019s excellent]. He can run in behind, he can come into the ball, and, technically, he\u2019s also really good with the ball. He\u2019s fast, he has a top finish. So at that point, he was literally just like everywhere.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Alexander Isak&#8217;s Liverpool career has yet to go to plan, with the former Newcastle striker scoring just two&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":361057,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[563],"tags":[12033,22261,64,63,596,7886,85],"class_list":["post-361056","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-football","tag-alexander-isak","tag-arne-slot","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-football","tag-liverpool-fc","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/361056","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=361056"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/361056\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/361057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=361056"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=361056"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=361056"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}