One of the many reasons why Isak pushed so hard to leave Newcastle was because he was hellbent on winning the biggest prizes in the game.
Isak looked well placed to quickly realise that ambition with Liverpool, the then Premier League champions.
Liverpool had been widely considered to be favourites for another title after landing Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and others in a bumper summer transfer window.
However, Arne Slot’s sacking at the end of the 2025-26 campaign spoke volumes about what proved to be Liverpool’s underwhelming trophy defence.
Liverpool may have “won” the transfer window, as many in the game widely felt at the time, but they ended up finishing 25 points behind champions Arsenal, in a disappointing fifth place.
After a chaotic summer, in which he went on strike to force through a British record move, and a series of injuries, Isak endured his worst goalscoring season since the 2017-18 campaign for Borussia Dortmund in which he only played 12 times.
It will now fall to a new manager to get the striker firing again. Liverpool have begun formal talks with former Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola.
Those at the club firmly believe 2025-26 was a freak campaign for Isak, who only played 21% of the total minutes for Liverpool in the Premier League.
Isak suffered a severe fractured ankle and fibula in December and, by the latter stages of the season, Liverpool were unwilling to risk him whenever he picked up minor concerns.
They are confident that once he is fit, the Sweden international will deliver, just as he did for his country with a brilliant goal in the 3-1 defeat against Norway on Monday night.
Isak requires players around him to create more, but he also needs to get involved more in games.
In the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris St-Germain at Anfield, for example, Isak managed just five touches in 45 minutes.
Isak lives a quiet life and has, of course, struggled with not being able to play, but he is well aware of the expectation on him leading into the World Cup and next season.
