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Michael Owen has cautioned Alexander Isak that he's not actually guaranteed a spot in Liverpool's starting line-up.
The Newcastle United forward made it clear on Tuesday evening that he hopes to leave his current club following a protracted transfer saga. Isak shared a scathing social media post as he expressed his disappointment over broken promises by the club, publicly outlining his desire to explore opportunities away from St. James' Park.
It follows his absence from Newcastle's pre-season tour of Asia and being told to train separately upon his return to Tyneside earlier this month. Isak is reportedly also refusing to play for the Magpies in an attempt to expedite his move, but former Reds and Magpies striker Owen has warned him that things might not necessarily be better at Merseyside.
Speaking to Mirror Football via 247Bet, the 45-year-old gave Isak something of a reality check, saying: "I mean, you look at Liverpool's front three. Nobody's going to take Mohamed Salah's place, Cody Gakpo's probably been the most improved player.
"He's played exceptionally well on the left, and then you've got [Hugo] Ekitike that looks an absolute brilliant signing. I mean, in two games he's played, he's been right up there, probably Man of the Match in both games. So it's hard to see anybody breaking through and getting into the team from that point of view."
After securing the Premier League Golden Boot with 29 goals last season, Salah shows no signs of letting up and remains a key player on Arne Slot's team. Gakpo has also kicked off the new season in fine form, netting a goal in Liverpool's 4-2 victory over Bournemouth on opening night.
Ekitike, a new addition to Anfield, has made an impressive start following his $107 million transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt this summer. The striker scored in the Reds' Community Shield match against Crystal Palace earlier this month, and was also first to score in the game against Bournemouth.
Isak's move to the north west could pose a significant problem for Slot, considering his current leading line is virtually unstoppable and will be difficult to replace if they maintain their current form. However, Owen did concede that Slot's squad is lacking depth in two specific positions.
He added: "We all know the tragic situation with Diogo Jota, and then [Darwin] Nunez left, and then [Luis] Diaz as well. So Liverpool are down three players out of those, and definitely need reinforcements.
"I mean, [Federico] Chiesa came on and scored [against Bournemouth], but he was sort of sixth choice out of those three positions last season. All of a sudden, he's possibly fourth."
Issuing a transfer plea to Slot, Owen continued: "You would say that Liverpool need at least one more attacking player to play in one of those positions, whether that's a starting player or a player to come on and change things. But they are quite light, despite all the transfers that they've had, they still probably need a centre-half and an attacking player."
It comes as Liverpool is presently chasing Crystal Palace skipper Marc Guehi, as they look to strengthen their defensive options. While Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate are Slot's preferred pairing, the squad appears rather thin in reserve, particularly following Jarell Quansah's recent switch to Bayer Leverkusen.
In terms of in attack, Liverpool saw an opening offer for Isak worth $148M turned down by Newcastle earlier this month, with the Magpies placing his worth at approximately $202M.
However, with Isak's latest comments making clear he is seeking a departure from Tyneside, Newcastle may provide some flexibility on their asking price to move on the player who has no desire to stay long term.
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