When Arne Slot was named Liverpool manager, one of his main priorities was to get the best out of Darwin Nunez.
Nunez was namechecked by most of those covering the Reds, highlighting the key task of the Uruguayan’s improvement. But he declined under Slot. It didn’t go unnoticed but, for many, a lot of the blame was placed on Nunes. The fact that Slot was supposed to improve him was swept under the rug.
Of course, everyone had Premier League-winning tainted glasses on. So what if Slot didn’t get the best out of Nunez? The Dutchman had won the league and played a part in getting the best out of a number of other players.
Slot’s tweaks allowed Ryan Gravenberch to showcase his talents. Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz looked good in Liverpool’s attack, while Mo Salah broke Premier League records.
In this article, we’ll cover
Deja vu with Darwin Nunez
Looking back, maybe Slot’s failure to get Nunez firing was a precursor for what was to come. His metrics tanked in 2024-25, and the rest of the attack suffered a similar fate in 2025-26, as Liverpool faltered to a fifth-placed finish.
And as much as Nunez can be singled out for the failure at Anfield, the fact is one of Slot’s priorities was to make him look like a £64million attacker again. If anything, Slot actually devalued the Uruguayan.
We’re going to be hearing the same sort of thing this summer.
Andoni Iraola is going to be expected to get the best out of Alexander Isak. You could even go as far as to say the entire season rests on the striker, and whether or not Iraola can platform him properly. Because everything points to Liverpool going all in on Isak.
Spending £125m on a player sort of points to that, yes. But this window specifically is confirming that Liverpool are now Isak FC. The striker makes or breaks this upcoming season.
Everything else is essentially irrelevant, to a point.
Goals win goals
That’s a bit of an exaggeration. But Florian Wirtz can be brilliant, Victor Munoz can be a transformative signing. Gravenberch might become a dominant middle-third player, and Virgil van Dijk might, once again, be the best centre-back in the Premier League. Liverpool might get the perfect storm everywhere else. But if they don’t have someone who can regularly put the ball into the back of the net, it doesn’t matter.
Liverpool’s plan this summer appears to be focused on making it as easy as possible for Isak next season. They’re looking to add explosive pace to the wide areas, they’re looking to add players with threat on the outside to stretch the play. And at the top of their shortlist appears to be players who create, rather than score.
While Munoz is a goal threat, his off-the-ball running is what makes him such an intriguing signing. Yan Diomande has that gravitational pull. Oppositioin players double — sometimes even triple — up on him. He creates space, he creates opportunities. Every other attacker, with the exception of Bradley Barcola, is of a similar profile. Maybe not identical, but they all seem to be ball carriers who excel in one-on-one situations.
Last season, Slot spoke of not having a Jacob Murphy-type profile in the squad. He was ridiculed for it, but you could undertand what he was saying. The attack wasn’t built around facilitating Isak. And Liverpool are seemingly looking to remedy that this summer.
In the right system and environment, Isak is one of the best strikers in Europe. But in his debut campaign with Liverpool, his role was diminished significantly. No goals, no real involvement. He was feeding off scraps at best.
Getting the best out of Isak
During his final season with Newcastle United, Isak finished with 99 shots in the Premier League, the seventh-most in the division. He ranked second for goals and third for his Expected Goals, playing for a Newcastle team that finished fifth.
The key part here, was that he was able to drop deep to pick up the ball, and on both flanks. He wasn’t anchored to a position, or maroone in the final third. The runners from either flank certainly helped free him up to do these things.
And this is something Isak has been able to do for Sweden at the World Cup.
But, despite being able to roam a little, he was a penalty box poacher for Newcastle.
He was in the right place at the right time, over and over again. His shot map is what you want from a No.9. A lot of efforts from central areas, and the majority of attempts from inside the box. It’s the shot map of a team playing to his strengths.
Liverpool are a little short of goals at the minute. The team are reliant on Isak, so it’s imperative that Iraola does create an environment for Iask to score the goals Liverpool desperately need.