Jamie Carragher identifies major problem with Alexander Isak that no one has talked about

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has questioned whether Alexander Isak will justify his price tag at Anfield. The Premier League's all-time record signing has suffered a nightmarish debut season on Merseyside following his £125million switch from Newcastle last summer. Isak, 26, netted his fourth goal for the club in Saturday's 3-1 victory at home to Crystal Palace . His appearance against the Eagles represented his third start since returning from the leg fracture he sustained against Tottenham in December. Nevertheless, a considerable journey lies ahead before the Swede can be deemed to have warranted his staggering fee. And Carragher is deeply concerned given, in his experience, no player truly flourished at Liverpool after a poor maiden campaign. "[The big-spending summer] hasn't worked," he told the Liverpool Echo . "It might work in the future because I don't think you can judge every signing in the first year. FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FB PAGE! Latest Reds news and more on our dedicated Facebook page "But I've said this before; my experience as a Liverpool player, every player who came to the club, I can't remember one who didn't really do much in his first season, and then was a revelation afterwards. Isak hasn't got going. He obviously got the injury, but he didn't look great to start with." Isak's situation is rather unique in that several factors need to be taken into account. Arne Slot 's squad were navigating a period of transition following their Premier League triumph last season and integrating £446million worth of fresh talent has presented its own set of complications. The striker's leg injury towards the end of 2026 also dealt a further blow to his prospects, essentially rendering this campaign a lost cause as the side struggled even more without him. With that in mind, Champions League -winner Carragher offered his thoughts on what he believes must happen this summer to mount a renewed title challenge. "In terms of what Liverpool need to do next season, well obviously they need to replace [Mohamed] Salah," he added. "I think for me, three players need to come straight into the team." "You can't go on and buy five players into the team. Liverpool bought a lot of players last summer, so they are not going to buy a load this summer." The declining form of Salah and, on occasion, Virgil van Dijk, combined with Alisson's fitness problems, have held Liverpool back at times. Those three figures alone have been so vital to the Reds' recent period of success that it stands to reason the team should struggle when they're either out of sorts or unavailable. Yet it's hard to fault supporters for feeling that excuse only stretches so far given a £446m summer splurge. And while Isak may be afforded some leeway for his disappointing debut campaign, Liverpool run the risk of overseeing the most embarrassing flop signing in Premier League history unless there's a dramatic turnaround next season. Join our LFC WhatsApp community and get all the latest LFC news, views, transfer gossip and more, as it happens We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.