Alexander Isak’s move to Liverpool was driven by his ambition to win major trophies, but his first season at Anfield fell far short of expectations. Liverpool had entered the 2025-26 campaign as strong title favourites after a major summer spending spree that brought in Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and others. Instead, the club endured a disappointing defence of the Premier League crown, finishing fifth and 25 points behind champions Arsenal.
The club’s underwhelming season also led to major change, with Arne Slot reportedly sacked at the end of the campaign. Despite being widely viewed as the team that “won” the transfer window, Liverpool failed to turn their expensive recruitment drive into silverware. For Isak, the season was even more difficult. After forcing through a British record move from Newcastle in a chaotic summer and then dealing with a series of injuries, he recorded his worst goalscoring season since his brief 2017-18 spell at Borussia Dortmund.
Liverpool are now expected to hand responsibility to a new manager, with formal talks having begun with former Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola. Club officials are said to believe that 2025-26 was an outlier for Isak rather than a sign of decline. Their confidence is based partly on the striker’s limited involvement, as he played only 21% of Liverpool’s Premier League minutes, and partly on the impact of a serious fractured ankle and fibula suffered in December. By the closing stages of the season, Liverpool were also reluctant to expose him to further risk when he experienced minor fitness concerns.
The expectation inside the club is that, once fully fit, the Sweden international will return to his best and provide the goals Liverpool need. Isak showed signs of that on Monday night when he impressed for Sweden, but there is also a recognition that he must become more involved in matches and that the team must create better chances around him. One example came in Liverpool’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield, where he had only five touches in 45 minutes.
Away from the pitch, Isak is known for keeping a quiet life, but the pressure on him is set to grow again. With the World Cup approaching and Liverpool preparing for another major season, the forward will be expected to rediscover the form that made him one of Europe’s most sought-after strikers.
