ARNE SLOT’S REALISTIC STANCE ON ALEXANDER ISAK’S RETURN DOMINATES LIVERPOOL FAN FORUMS
Liverpool boss Arne Slot insists Alexander Isak needs a six-week lead-up to reach the levels seen in last season's final.
_1774050079.webp)
Arne Slot has confirmed that Alexander Isak will be back in time for Liverpool’s Champions League quarter-final clash against Paris Saint-Germain. However, he urged patience about when fans might see the £125 million forward in top form again, as Isak has been out since late 2025 due to a broken leg.
Isak suffered the injury during Liverpool’s win over Tottenham in December, caught by defender Micky van de Ven shortly after scoring in the second half. Now, the Swedish striker is gradually easing back with light training but won’t be joining the national squad during the break, still working through the final stages of rehab before returning to competitive play.
Slot mentioned the team might consider a closed-door friendly to help Isak regain match fitness, but clarified that he hasn’t rejoined regular team training yet. While Slot welcomes the striker’s return eagerly, he also recognises the likelihood that supporters might have to wait until next season to see Isak performing at his best.
“Alex will be available for PSG, yes,” Slot said on Friday. “But when we talk about being ready, if you’re expecting the player who starred against us a year ago in the Carabao Cup final, who was exceptional on that day, I have doubts after such a long layoff. I do expect to get minutes from him, but it’s hard to say what exactly because he hasn’t trained with the team even once yet.
“He’s not able to train with the team yet. Usually, rehab comes before team training starts, and only after that do you play games. It’s not like you go from one training to playing 45 or 90 minutes straight away.
“If we organise a friendly during the international break, it would probably have to be a very light setup, maybe something like three versus three. We have the under-21s, but Alex isn’t ready to play yet. If he were, he would be with Sweden. The fans will certainly see the best version of him next season. We’re aiming to get close to that this season, but it’s a process.
“I’m as excited as the fans to have him back because, honestly, in about 90 per cent of our matches, we’ve created more chances than the opposition. Having one of the world’s best strikers out there usually means picking up more points. So the excitement about his return, given how good he was at Newcastle, is understandable.
“I don’t want to diminish his impact; he can make a difference this season. But if you ask whether next season is more realistic for him to reach his best than right now, I’d say yes. Also, he probably won’t be available against Man City, but for the next couple of months, we’ll definitely try to use him.”
Slot also touched on the possibility of Isak playing in an under-21 game. “That’s something I can’t answer yet. We think about those options with players returning from injury. If he must get match practice, we would arrange a friendly. But it’s not as simple as 'one game back, and then he’s back to his peak'; it takes time.
“There’s also pre-season coming up, which might be the right moment for him to build up gradually. Players typically have around six to seven weeks to ramp up before the season, and it’s rare to see anyone at their best in the very first pre-season game.”
MOHAMED SALAH SET TO LEAVE LIVERPOOL: FENERBAHCE PREPARE STUNNING THREE-YEAR CONTRACT OFFER
After a decade at Anfield, Mohamed Salah's next move is the talk of football. Will he join Messi or stay in European leagues?
Mohamed Salah looks set to leave Liverpool this summer, and it sounds like he wants to stay in Europe. One of the hottest rumours right now is about Fenerbahçe; they’re ready to offer him a three-year deal worth around £52 million. That’s a huge pay packet, but probably not as big as what he’d get in Saudi Arabia.
Salah’s been on Merseyside for almost a decade, and it’s hard to overstate just how much he’s done for Liverpool. Since joining in 2017 with Jurgen Klopp in charge, he’s picked up two Premier League titles, a Champions League medal, an FA Cup, and two League Cups. Pretty impressive, honestly. But this season hasn’t gone his way, and new boss Arne Slot dropped him for a few games after his form dipped. When Salah announced in March that he’d be leaving, people started up with transfer rumours right away.
In recent years, clubs from the Saudi Pro League have shown considerable interest. Last year, Al Ittihad went as far as slapping a £150 million offer on the table, but Liverpool turned it down.
Now the story goes that Salah wants to stay in Europe even though he’d pocket way more in Saudi Arabia. Reports out of Egypt claim Fenerbahce, managed by Jose Mourinho’s old club, have already sat down with Salah’s agent. They apparently laid out their big plans, offering £17.3 million a year with a three-year contract, and they want to build the team around him to end their league title drought stretching back to 2014.
There’s also talk of Real Madrid getting involved. Still, their transfer policy usually steers clear of handing massive contracts to players pushing the end of their careers, even superstars like Salah. Clubs in Italy, like Roma, Juventus, and Inter Milan, are keeping tabs on him too. And just to make things more interesting, someone floated the idea of Salah joining up with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami in the MLS, though the league's salary cap throws a wrench into that.
At this point, everybody’s watching Salah’s next move; the only certainty is that he won’t be short of offers when he finally says goodbye to Liverpool.
WHY IS LIVERPOOL HESITATING TO HIRE XABI ALONSO DESPITE OVERWHELMING FAN SUPPORT?
Liverpool has contacted Real Madrid to investigate Xabi Alonso’s tenure, as pressure grows on current manager Arne Slot at Anfield.
Liverpool have reached out to Real Madrid to ask about Xabi Alonso, but honestly, there’s some debate going on behind the scenes. People have been talking about Alonso stepping in at Anfield, especially since Arne Slot’s season hasn’t gone over well. Fans let out some boos after that 1-1 draw with Chelsea, and the mood is pretty tense. Even though Slot led Liverpool to a league title last year, quite a few supporters seem fed up with him and would rather see Alonso take charge.
But Spanish outlet AS says Liverpool have contacted Real Madrid to get the inside scoop on what happened during Alonso’s time at the club. It sounds like the decision-makers at Liverpool are starting to feel unsure about him, and they might actually stick with Slot for another season.
Alonso landed the Real Madrid job last summer after doing wonders at Bayer Leverkusen. Still, just six months in, Madrid let him go, reportedly because the locker room was falling apart. Liverpool’s relationship with Real Madrid is strong, and they apparently want some honest feedback – kind of like asking for a reference from a past employer, which isn’t unusual.
Liverpool’s spot in next year’s Champions League is almost locked in, but with two games left, it’s not guaranteed yet. When asked about the boos, Slot admitted he has some work to do to win fans over.
He said, “Not this season. Fans won’t change their minds now. But if we get the summer we’re planning, I’m convinced we’ll be a different team next season. Results, style, everything. It’s not always easy, though. Sometimes you know what needs fixing, but getting what you want isn’t so simple. This season, it’s been pretty clear what we’re missing. We’re trying to solve it, but one issue is simply having enough fit players. Still, our guys show every week in the second half that they’re giving everything they’ve got.”
Must Read
