As Liverpool ended a record-breaking summer of spending on £125 million signing Alexander Isak from Newcastle, it seemed like the perfect end to one of the most impressive transfer windows in the club's history.
Isak is the seventh rookie to join coach Arne Slot's team, after the duo Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen), Milos Kerkez (Bournemouth), Hugo Ekitike (Eintracht Frankfurt) and Giovanni Leoni (Parma). In addition, goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, who signed with Liverpool last summer but was loaned to Valencia, has also officially joined the squad this season.
After winning the Premier League with a gap of 10 points, Liverpool seems to be stronger than ever. They are immediately considered the most promising candidate for this year's title. However, a victory in the transfer market does not mean success on the pitch. And the turbulent summer has made Slot's side look more like a transitional team than a complete machine.
Last season, stability was the core factor that helped the "Red Brigade" win the championship. The proof is that Slot has used the same starting lineup seven times in a season, more than the five times Jurgen Klopp has achieved during his 491 games in charge.
The center of that stability is the 3-man midfield of Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister - the trio who started together 28/56 matches in all competitions last season. However, up to now, they have only played together twice. Mac Allister is still recovering from an injury of unknown cause, while Szoboszlai is often moved to play as a right-back.
Instead, Wirtz is the one who is often given a starting position in midfield. However, despite joining Liverpool for £100 million and being considered one of the brightest young talents in Europe, the 22-year-old's performance has yet to meet expectations. After 9 matches this season, Wirtz has not scored or assisted, causing many people to question his integration at Anfield.
Wayne Rooney even criticized Wirtz for "unbalancing" Slot's system.
"I have seen many players come to this tournament, and that takes time. The problem is not the transfer value or the ability of Florian Wirtz. I just don't see him fitting the Liverpool system at any point," Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show last month.
However, that may be a slightly strict assessment. Statistics show that only Gakpo has created more chances than Wirtz for Liverpool in the Premier League this season. The German international has shown the technical qualities and creative thinking to be an important piece in Slot's playing style.
However, Wirtz's start has not been really smooth, and the same is true for Isak, although the Swedish striker has begun to show signs of improvement.
Isak arrived at Merseyside in a state of inactivity, after a major summer 2025 holiday to promote a move away from Newcastle. He has only started 4 matches for his new club, and despite assisting Gakpo to equalize against Chelsea, Isak has not yet reached his best physical condition and form.
In defence, Kerkez and Frimpong are both struggling to maintain consistency, while Giovanni Leoni has been out for the rest of the season due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear.
To date, Ekitike is Liverpool's most outstanding rookie, with 4 goals and 1 assist after 9 appearances. However, the French international will be absent from the away trip to Selhurst Park due to suspension. He was then pushed to the bench against Chelsea due to not fully recovering from injury.
Despite all the attention Liverpool have received thanks to a record summer spending, it seems that the inability to sign Marc Guehi is what makes them regret the most.
