Liverpool were reportedly pursuing a move for Alexander Isak back in 2022, only for Jurgen Klopp to prefer Darwin Nunez instead.
The Reds have felt the wrath of Isak twice this season, with the Newcastle striker scoring against them at both St James’ Park and Wembley.
Strong reports have suggested that the 25-year-old is a leading summer target for Liverpool, though the Magpies are adamant that they will keep hold of their star player.
According to Sky Sports‘ Lyall Thomas, the Reds’ recruitment team “wanted to sign” Isak back in 2022, at which point he was still at Real Sociedad.
Instead, it’s claimed that Klopp and Pep Lijnders “pushed” to bring in Nunez from Benfica, eventually paying an initial £64 million for the Uruguayan who had scored against the Reds the previous season.
A rare error by Klopp
Hindsight is a wonderful thing in football but Klopp must surely look back and rue his decision not to heed the advice of the recruitment team.
Nunez is now coming towards the end of his third season at Liverpool but huge question marks still surround his all-round worth as a player and he’s largely expected to depart this summer.
While his personality makes him a popular figure at Anfield, his finishing remains erratic, as does his decision-making.
While Nunez has struggled at Anfield and was relegated to third-choice centre-forward by both Klopp and Arne Slot, Isak is now among Europe’s top strikers following a magnificent season for Newcastle.
The Swede has 20 Premier League goals in 2024/25, behind only Mohamed Salah (27) and Erling Haaland (21), also becoming the seventh-fastest player to reach 50 goals in the division.
Well over £100 million is expected to be required if Liverpool are to have any chance of signing Isak in the summer, with Arsenal also in the mix.
At this point, Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike seems like the more viable option, with Reds scouts said to be “monitoring” him closely.
Either way, Nunez’s time at Liverpool should come to an end when this season is finished, having not developed enough since 2022.
Klopp and Lijnders would have been wise to trust the recruitment team on this one!
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