The striker Liverpool, Man Utd and Chelsea should have signed

Suraj Radia

• Updated: 7 Apr 2023 12:58 BST
• 4 min read

Manchester United and Chelsea have spent a combined total of more than €854 million this season yet both teams head into the summer still desperately searching for an elite number nine to lead their line.

Liverpool, meanwhile, signed Darwin Nunez last summer, a player who had just one quality season in Benfica before making a €100m move, such was the lack of proven strikers on the market…or so teams thought.

With Nunez yet to showcase his best for Liverpool, United relying on the underwhelming Wout Weghorst and Chelsea operating without a recognised number nine for the season, the English giants may be looking up the road at Newcastle and feeling like they missed a trick.

WRECKING BALL: Nunez being wasted by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool

The Magpies sit above all three sides in the Premier League having made Alexander Isak their record signing last summer, under no real competition from any other club despite plenty of teams being desperate to sign a striker.

The €70m man has spent a large portion of his debut season sidelined with injury but he has netted seven times in 730 minutes this season, a better goals to minute ratio than any other striker in the Premier League not named Erling Haaland.

Isak’s signing has all but secured Newcastle's leading man for the foreseeable future for a large yet reasonable fee and the Swede has fired his side above their Premier League rivals, perhaps leaving teams with a sense of regret and envy over missing out on one of the talents of the season.

Newcastle reaping the benefits of long-term scouting with Isak

Isak is a complete and mobile forward with a glowing reputation, having attracted global attention as a teenager before moving to Dortmund for a Swedish record transfer of €9m in 2017 at the age of 18.

The 6 foot 4 inch giant was described as the next Zlatan Ibrahimovic having broken into the team at his boyhood club AIK, however his time at Dortmund was less successful, with Isak struggling to live up to the hype surrounding him.

Indeed, Isak made just 13 appearances in all competitions for the German side, scoring once, before a €15m move to Real Sociedad in 2019 on the back of a prolific loan spell at Dutch side Willem II, where he netted 13 goals in 16 games.

It was at Sociedad where Isak established himself as a youngster who was capable of working hard and pressing opponents as well as his comfort on the ball, with his technical ability helping both build up and finish attacks.

Although Isak netted 33 times in his first two seasons with Sociedad, prompting the likes of Arsenal to take interest, teams were perhaps put off by his underwhelming third season where he scored just six goals in 32 La Liga games.

However Newcastle, who had scouted Isak since his time at AIK, saw the decline in his stock as an opportunity to beat their rivals to the punch and sign a player who has drawn comparisons to Thierry Henry due to his pace as well as power.

Such a combination which would have given Chelsea the clinical presence in the box they have lacked this season, while United are expected to offer in excess of €100m for a player in a similar mould this summer in Victor Osimhen.

SOLD!: Ten Hag convinced on Man Utd's next number nine

Curiously, although Liverpool spent more on Nunez, he and Isak shared a similar profile prior to both their Premier League moves, although the Newcastle man has proven a significantly stronger threat on the ball and in front of goal so far this season.

While Nunez has value in Jurgen Klopp’s system, the form of Isak and Newcastle has proven the value of trusting in scouting and identifying the right target instead of simply chasing the in-form striker at the time.

With plenty of teams set to spend significantly more this summer looking for a striker with the attributes of Isak, the Swede’s performances this season indicate that Newcastle have pulled off a masterstroke in quietly signing one of the most complete, well-rounded forwards in world football.