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Dwight Yorke claims Liverpool has sent a "clear warning" to the rest of the Premier League with its £125 million ($169 million) club-record signing of Alexander Isak.
The reigning Premier League champion spent big over the summer and had already broken its previous club-record deal to land playmaker Florian Wirtz for £116 million ($156.7 million). Striker Hugo Ekitike followed in a £79 million ($106.7 million) transfer that looked to have put paid to any prospect of Liverpool going after Isak.
But Ekitike's arrival did not have any bearing on the club's pursuit of Isak, who eventually signed on deadline day, as Arne Slot strengthened his side for a title defence. And former Manchester United star Yorke feels Liverpool's business in the market shows the true mark of a champion by always looking to improve.
"Everybody is improving, and every year, each team tries to improve," Yorke told Jackpot City Casino.
"Arne Slot has come in and hasn't made too many changes. He's built on the winning formula that Jurgen Klopp left and has managed to turn it over.
"But he thinks to go another step because the team will improve. He needs to improve; he needs to add.
"Alexander Isak is one of the best players in the league currently. His stats show that, and he thinks this will be vital.
“You need that edge. You need that to stay ahead of the pack because people are closing the gap, and Isak is one of those players who will give him that little bit of a cushion going forward."
United adopted a similar tactic to sign Yorke from Aston Villa in 1998 in a then club-record £12.6 million ($17 million) deal.
Sir Alex Ferguson already had Andy Cole, Teddy Sheringham, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at his disposal, but moved for Yorke to boost his attacking options before going on to wrestle the title back off Arsenal and complete a famous Treble.
Liverpool boss Slot has seen the club's rivals spend heavily in the transfer market, with Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea all welcoming a host of expensive new signings. But Isak's arrival has certainly been the most eye-catching.
"Right now, I think he [Slot]'s still got the edge, but they know that there are teams like Manchester City who we are told will push them all the way but come up short against Tottenham," Yorke added.
"If you don't stay one step ahead, people are going to be closing that gap very closely.
"That's why the whole Isak thing has come about because even though you spend heavily, they're still in a good position to add that kind of value to the team.
"It should send a clear warning to everybody else."
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