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Liverpool has been told that it paid too little for Alexander Isak when the Swedish forward arrived at Anfield from Newcastle United this summer for a fee of around $169 million (£125 million).
The Reds broke the British transfer record to bring Isak in after a long saga that saw the player go on strike. Newcastle eventually let him leave on the final day of the window after signing Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart as a replacement.
"Under. I’d have paid whatever," former Premier League center-back Joleon Lescott, who made 26 appearances for England during his career, said on The Mixer, brought to you by Sky Bet.
"I’d have paid whatever they [Newcastle] wanted. Liverpool already were winning the league. They needed someone to make the difference in the Champions League. I think Isak is that."
Isak made his debut as Liverpool faced Atletico Madrid on matchday one. While he didn't score, he did show plenty of promise and pressed well for the 58 minutes he was on the field.
Out of the six English clubs in the Champions League this season, Lescott believes Liverpool has the best chance of being crowned winners thanks to Isak's arrival.
"I think they’re in a good position for the Champions League," Lescott added. "But the Isak signing… Isak is a Man of the Match player.
"I think Mohamed Salah is more of just a game-winner. He is sometimes not involved and doesn’t shine.
"Isak will occupy defenders in a different way. Liverpool now have two players who can get 20 or 30 goals in a season. Isak is that good, and they won’t be surprised by him."
Liverpool is not the favorite for the Champions League in Lescott's eyes, however. When asked for a selection, he simply said: "Real Madrid."
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"I was positively surprised by how fit Isak was during that 60 minutes," Arne Slot said. "But that maybe, probably, tells you that it might be a difference to sign a 20-year-old from a different league or a 25- or 26-year-old that is used to playing in this league.
"Although he only trained for two weeks, he has so many games under his belt that he is probably more able to be ready for 60. But I was positively surprised how fit he was, I wasn’t surprised by his quality because that’s what we all know."
Liverpool.com says: Isak is a game-changer for the Reds in attack, though Hugo Ekitike shouldn't be forgotten either. Between them, they are going to score plenty of goals this season.
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