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Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith says Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has given himself a selection headache in attack this season after a summer that saw several big-name attackers arrive.
Liverpool signed Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, and Florian Wirtz for a combined sum that could reach $431 million (£320 million), including add-ons, though it should be noted that the likes of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez were also sold. As Slot and others have suggested many times in the last few weeks, the signings were replacements rather than additions.
So far, Ekitike has looked the best of the three players to come in and bolster the Liverpool forward line, though Isak is still getting up to speed, and Wirtz has shown flashes of his quality.
But Smith isn't sure how they will all fit in when everyone is fully fit. Wirtz is still getting used to the pace of the English game, while Isak missed most of the summer and is playing catch-up fitness-wise.
"Ekitike, goals-wise, has started really well," Smith told Liverpool.com. "Five already, coming into a different, better league. He’s adjusted well. So you can’t knock that.
"When he took his shirt off and got sent off, I think that was maybe a reflection of his frustration that all of a sudden, he’s second choice behind Isak. I’m sure when he signed, he didn’t realize they were going to sign Isak as well, but he’s done well.
"Isak, I think he’s still trying to find full match fitness and sharpness, but he’s getting there. Isak got a good portion of the game at Crystal Palace.
"He’s a quality player, isn’t he? He’s got a goal too. He’ll do fine for them."
Having two quality number nines is important, of course, even if they can't always play together. And in time, both Ekitike and Isak should benefit from playing ahead of Wirtz.
Right now, though, Smith doesn't believe that Wirtz is in Liverpool's best team. Jamie Carragher has also called for the German to be taken out of the firing line this week, ahead of the trip to Chelsea this Saturday.
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"I don’t think he does [get into Liverpool's best XI] to be honest," Smith, speaking on behalf of Best Betting Sites, said. "When you say best Liverpool XI, Wirtz, in truth, wouldn’t be in it at the moment, the way he’s playing.
"I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets dropped for the Chelsea game. He’s having problems adjusting to the league and the way Arne Slot wants him to play. He could play Ekitike as a number 10, but having all three of them might be a stretch as things stand.
"Dominik Szoboszlai is doing really well. He played the other day. So it’ll all even itself out. In the long term, it’s going to be either Ekitike or Isak. I don’t think it’ll be too many times when they’ll start together."
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