Isakly what we need (AKA Isak Hunt)
- Thread starter Hansern
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Honestly, I would have liked us to sign him as a backup for Ekitike, if we couldn't get Isak over the line.
I hear that.
You know I rate Ekitike, but there's no evidence that he can sustain his form across a season. I'm happy we're going for someone better. With Isak, there is some evidence he can maintain his form in the PL, and any CF that has proven he can unsettle Virgil, Konate, Saliba, Gabriel, Romero and VDV, despite their speed/strength, is simply a must-have market opportunity.
Our rivals will be scared.
Isak was a must. Ekitike is a ridiculous bonus (thanks to Newcastle messing us around).
Oh definitely. Isak is also my number one choice, I just hate what we're paying for him.
I don't care about winning the "net spend" league.
I only care about the quality of player he is. This is kind of like a VVD-level signing. At 75m, people were laughing. Until they weren't.
125m is only a poor outlay if he is on the injury bench and doesn't perform. Or if it doesn't enable us to get our other problem area fixed (namely CB).
The newest, greatest striker in world football. Made so overnight.
View: https://youtu.be/Wp9vVEehP14
View: https://youtu.be/Wp9vVEehP14
What speed?
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GTXyTZ9n_s
WhereTF did they unearth this guy? Perhaps I should watch German football more often. 23 years old. It's like he's playing with children on those highlights.
He has decent feet and seems to have mastered to art of making the most of when he loses control of the ball. But fast?
He is sure not fast. But he appears like he has pace or good momentum. Or is somehow unpredictable/different with his turns and decision-making. He will sure be an interesting addition to the PL.
full tweet:
Nick Woltemade has personally informed Max Eberl and Christoph Freund that he will not wait until next summer for Bayern and will instead join Newcastle immediately. The Premier League club offered him clarity and ambition, promising to make him the direct successor to Alexander Isak, a starting role from day one, and the chance to prove himself in the most competitive league in the world. His entourage also made clear to Bayern that Newcastle expect Isak to join Liverpool in the final days of the window, a message that underlined how decisive the English side have been compared to Munich.Inside Bayern the reaction is one of shock, a feeling that has become all too common in recent transfer windows. Bayern submitted three separate bids to Stuttgart for Woltemade, and each one was rejected. Instead of matching the demand, the board chose to step back, convinced that waiting until next summer would eventually bring success. Their plan was to circle around Woltemade and move when the timing better suited their financial books. It mirrored the approach with Florian Wirtz, where the board relied on arrogance and low offers, believing they could pressure Leverkusen into selling. Wirtz chose Liverpool instead for several reasons, and Woltemade has now followed the same path, rejecting Bayern’s empty promises and choosing the clarity, financial strength, and decisiveness of Newcastle.The rejection cuts deeper because of the debate within the club. Uli Hoeneß and Jan-Christian Dreesen championed Woltemade as the safe and conservative Bundesliga solution, German, media friendly and what they assumed would be cheap, the kind of continuity signing they could present after Harry Kane. Max Eberl pressed for a bigger move, quietly reaching out to Alexander Isak and Benjamin Šeško to test whether they would wait another year. Their answer was immediate rejection, leaving Bayern with nothing.This latest episode is another humiliation, a reminder of a club that once wanted to dictate the market but now finds itself rejected, exposed and increasingly irrelevant in the eyes of Europe’s best.
Nick Woltemade has personally informed Max Eberl and Christoph Freund that he will not wait until next summer for Bayern and will instead join Newcastle immediately. The Premier League club offered him clarity and ambition, promising to make him the direct successor to Alexander Isak, a starting role from day one, and the chance to prove himself in the most competitive league in the world. His entourage also made clear to Bayern that Newcastle expect Isak to join Liverpool in the final days of the window, a message that underlined how decisive the English side have been compared to Munich.Inside Bayern the reaction is one of shock, a feeling that has become all too common in recent transfer windows. Bayern submitted three separate bids to Stuttgart for Woltemade, and each one was rejected. Instead of matching the demand, the board chose to step back, convinced that waiting until next summer would eventually bring success. Their plan was to circle around Woltemade and move when the timing better suited their financial books. It mirrored the approach with Florian Wirtz, where the board relied on arrogance and low offers, believing they could pressure Leverkusen into selling. Wirtz chose Liverpool instead for several reasons, and Woltemade has now followed the same path, rejecting Bayern’s empty promises and choosing the clarity, financial strength, and decisiveness of Newcastle.The rejection cuts deeper because of the debate within the club. Uli Hoeneß and Jan-Christian Dreesen championed Woltemade as the safe and conservative Bundesliga solution, German, media friendly and what they assumed would be cheap, the kind of continuity signing they could present after Harry Kane. Max Eberl pressed for a bigger move, quietly reaching out to Alexander Isak and Benjamin Šeško to test whether they would wait another year. Their answer was immediate rejection, leaving Bayern with nothing.This latest episode is another humiliation, a reminder of a club that once wanted to dictate the market but now finds itself rejected, exposed and increasingly irrelevant in the eyes of Europe’s best.
Funny, I did the exact same searches earlier today too. Plus the speeds of Isak vs Saliba, VVD, Konate and Wirtz vs Musiala, Odegaard.
Surprised the Wirtz had a pretty good recorded top speed for Germany.
But also, interesting the Woltemade's record top speed has gone down from 34 km/h (23/24) to 28 km/h (25/26), over the last few seasons, as his height has apparently gone from 187cm to 198cm. Maybe they got his height wrong, or maybe growing has slowed him down.
I can't help feeling that Hughes dropped Andy a little hint in the past week or so.. maybe left a dossier and some handphone numbers in the negotiating room by "mistake"
If we get Isak we can outscore anyone so a leaky defence won’t be as big an issue.
I have a distinct feeling that the FSG have actually helped* Newcastle* get this opportunity (which feels like it's already over the line). FSG has great links to Germany and to the German market, starting from Klopp, but also remaining now with Wirtz and Ekitike acquisitions. There was also a whole lot of conciliatory talk going out from both Newcastle and Liverpool regarding Isak. How neither club wants drama/saga to continue needlessly. The FSG and Liverpool are extremely savvy and shrewd. And they keep professional ties. Say the right things and shake the hands properly even while they have clearly done a number on Newcastle. It is in Liverpool's interest to have good relations with Newcastle and I think this is due to that. If Liverpool pull off the Isak trade it will show that they are clearly dominating the non-Latin/Spanish market when it comes to world football. The Spanish/Latin market is dominated by RM who are very dirty operators but hold media and power say over Spain and over Barcelona. They very much are Liverpool's nemesis, or are trying to be. They try to so act.
* I think that many English clubs are run in a way that could be described as a very rudimentary and primitive - when compared to how proper corporations are run. Many clubs are still family or near-family affairs and then do their stuff in weird ways including perhaps by picking up phones and calling on "friends" or whoever to get clues for transfers. Have nothing like a professionalized system when it comes to such things. Liverpool, in contrast, possess a super-professional team when it comes to data gathering on players (scouting) and when it comes to making connections with agents, clubs, etc. And Liverpool is now also very, very media savvy. They do a great job controlling their messages, getting out proper leads including false leads too. From that position of expertise they can make a club like Newcastle their dependent even while that is in Newcastle benefit. Liverpool want to dominate the PL. Newcastle want to get a firm spot in the CL. There could be a way to do both. When approaching Newcastle, Liverpool should/must think like that. That is much better than burning bridges. This with Isak was an early goings for Liverpool. This is the first transfer window in which they are the big boys. They're also not used to it. They are not used to the power that they have amassed. Isak's head was greatly turned. Liverpool made an approach and all of a sudden he is dying to leave, Newcastle is in deep crisis mode, and there is a "saga" galvanizing the whole of English football.
All of that just above was to say that once LFC found themselves luring away Newcastle's top striker they also found themselves needing to help them get a decent forward in return TO MAKE IT WORK.
I watched him in the u21 game and he looked like a half decent prospect at best.
The market is lunacy.
Bayern are right not to spunk 200 mil on wirtz and this guy, but every other time in history they have both these players.
The market is lunacy.
Bayern are right not to spunk 200 mil on wirtz and this guy, but every other time in history they have both these players.
Its not being outworked though, is it? Newcastle have money from isak and are massively overpaying for what seems like their fifth choice in the dying moments.
Bayern will never value this prospect at the same amount as a desperate Newcastle, and they couldn't ask him to wait really, given his contract runs for ages.
Lets pause to notice what players in recent Liverpool history distinctly didn't work out: Nunez who is Uruguayan and hence from Latin America / Spanish domain; Diaz who is Colombian and hence from Latin America / Spanish domain; TAA who was successfully lured by Real Madrid - the main club from Spain.
LFC need a strong, prominent Spanish figure at the club. Somebody to join the backroom. And somebody who has both a sway in Spain, but who also has independence from the dominant Spanish mainstream. That I think is critical. But that is also hard to come by. Benitez was such a figure. But he no longer has sway.
It is also interesting to note that there have been news popping up that FSG is looking into buying a Spanish club. And therefore making an inroad like that into the Spanish football.
The key problem/issue in these regards is that Real Madrid is very successful at swaying and luring and influencing and distracting Latin/Spanish players through the work of their media/agents network. And another problem is that Latin players don't feel very much at home in Liverpool because they have no one around. Jota was Portuguese. Portuguese are perhaps different. Nunez was always out of place. It affected his confidence. Suarez was very much purged out of England due to media backlash and targeting. He never felt welcomed not due to Liverpool but to English media/culture. Benitez was subjected to great xenophobia.
One by-product of that what I've written above is that Arteta now has great advantage when it comes to the Spanish/Latin market. He can attract top Spanish footballers that don't find themselves at home at Real Madrid (or Barcelona). There is a HUGE market there. Isak is Swedish which is a very important reason why he's drawn to Liverpool. If he were from the Latin/Spanish world it would be a very different story.
FSG have made a tremendous inroad into the German market primarily due to Klopp and then to their networking. And have also made a great inroad into the Dutch market. German and Dutch. That is distinctly non-Latin. Slot struggles when dealing with players like Diaz. Doesn't know how to relate to them. There's a huge cultural gap. Latin players, and then especially the likes of Diaz, are unlike Dutch and Germans. Wirtz follows rules very, very well. Can accept orders. Diaz not so much. It is a cultural thing. People feel alienated, discomforted.
Nunez was such a great soldier for LFC. Great soldier. He was very harshly treated by the media and by a huge chunk of the fan base. Yet he never complained. Always did his best. Was never given great confidence. Strikers need confidence. And such a great soldier ended up in Saudi Arabia. He was a top European forward prospect once. Top scorer in Portugal having scored 26 goals in 28 games. Ended up in Saudi Arabia at 26 years old.
LFC need a strong, prominent Spanish figure at the club. Somebody to join the backroom. And somebody who has both a sway in Spain, but who also has independence from the dominant Spanish mainstream. That I think is critical. But that is also hard to come by. Benitez was such a figure. But he no longer has sway.
It is also interesting to note that there have been news popping up that FSG is looking into buying a Spanish club. And therefore making an inroad like that into the Spanish football.
The key problem/issue in these regards is that Real Madrid is very successful at swaying and luring and influencing and distracting Latin/Spanish players through the work of their media/agents network. And another problem is that Latin players don't feel very much at home in Liverpool because they have no one around. Jota was Portuguese. Portuguese are perhaps different. Nunez was always out of place. It affected his confidence. Suarez was very much purged out of England due to media backlash and targeting. He never felt welcomed not due to Liverpool but to English media/culture. Benitez was subjected to great xenophobia.
One by-product of that what I've written above is that Arteta now has great advantage when it comes to the Spanish/Latin market. He can attract top Spanish footballers that don't find themselves at home at Real Madrid (or Barcelona). There is a HUGE market there. Isak is Swedish which is a very important reason why he's drawn to Liverpool. If he were from the Latin/Spanish world it would be a very different story.
FSG have made a tremendous inroad into the German market primarily due to Klopp and then to their networking. And have also made a great inroad into the Dutch market. German and Dutch. That is distinctly non-Latin. Slot struggles when dealing with players like Diaz. Doesn't know how to relate to them. There's a huge cultural gap. Latin players, and then especially the likes of Diaz, are unlike Dutch and Germans. Wirtz follows rules very, very well. Can accept orders. Diaz not so much. It is a cultural thing. People feel alienated, discomforted.
Nunez was such a great soldier for LFC. Great soldier. He was very harshly treated by the media and by a huge chunk of the fan base. Yet he never complained. Always did his best. Was never given great confidence. Strikers need confidence. And such a great soldier ended up in Saudi Arabia. He was a top European forward prospect once. Top scorer in Portugal having scored 26 goals in 28 games. Ended up in Saudi Arabia at 26 years old.
More that fair
Makes the Ekitike fee look a bit less mad now. Any capable backup was always going to cost wedge
