Alexander Isak value plummets due to injury woes as Liverpool left waiting

Liverpool agreed a £125million deal to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle United on the final day of the summer transfer window, but the striker's value has now dropped

Alexander Isak of Liverpool(Image: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Alexander Isak's transfer value has taken a hit during his debut season at Liverpool, following his high-profile move from Newcastle United. The Reds were persistently linked with signing Isak for several months before finally securing a deal on the last day of the transfer window last September.

Liverpool struck a $170 million agreement with Newcastle to bring in Isak, making him the club's priciest signing and setting a new British transfer record.

In the same window, Liverpool also signed Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal that could potentially reach $158 million with add-ons, while Hugo Ekitike was also brought to Anfield for a fee that could escalate to $107.5 million.

Isak joined Liverpool without having played a single minute for Newcastle during pre-season and spent most of the first few months of the season working on his fitness.

After netting three goals in 16 appearances for Liverpool, Isak sustained an ankle injury and a fractured fibula during the victory over Tottenham Hotspur back in December.

The injury necessitated surgery for Isak, which is expected to keep the striker out of action for several months, and there is still no precise timeline for his return.

At the time of Isak's arrival, Transfermarkt valued the Swedish international at $165 million. However, that valuation has now fallen to $142 million.

Alexander Isak's injury woes have damaged his value(Image: Getty Images)

It's hardly surprising to witness Isak's market value decline this season, considering the striker has featured in just 16 matches since late May and has spent most of the period since either rehabilitating from injury or regaining match fitness.

Arne Slot addressed Isak's fitness situation last month, with the Liverpool head coach indicating that a return to the matchday squad isn't anticipated in the near future."He's [Isak] not even on the pitch yet," Slot said on January 30. "He's just out of his walker, so that tells you that we're not expecting him on the pitch today or tomorrow in terms of his recovery work. "That's going to take a while before he's back, as we knew."

Isak is expected to play a key role for Liverpool next season after he's finished fully recovering, but Slot has been warned that the Swede needs to fix his injury issues before he can be considered world-class.

Former Arsenal and Sweden midfielder Stefan Schwarz, via the Liverpool Echo., explained the role Isak can play for the Reds once he's fully back to his best.

"First Alexander Isak has to come back from his injury and I think he will be a very good fit for Liverpool once he is fit," Schwarz said.

"He's a young player. He has a lot of qualities. He's very cool in the box, a very good finisher. He can produce magic in small areas and tight spaces. The only problem is his injury history.

"I think Liverpool will work with Isak to get the right balance so he doesn't miss out on too many games when he returns so he is a much better player for next season.

"He is a top striker but when you don't have the continuity, and you are injured, it's very difficult to reach the top again.

"He isn't a world-class striker right now but he has the potential to be one."