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Just three months into his Liverpool career, Alexander Isak is being prematurely described as the flop of the season by some fans on social media.
The Reds broke the bank to sign Isak from Newcastle in January, paying the Magpies £125 million ($166.8 million) for his services. It seemed like a good bit of business, as the 26-year-old had scored 54 Premier League goals during his three-year spell at Newcastle.
But Isak has struggled to replicate that form at Anfield. He's scored just once in seven Premier League appearances for Liverpool, with the likes of Alan Shearer analyzing his slow start. Yet history suggests it's not all doom and gloom for the Swedish striker.
He's not the first big-money signing to struggle at Liverpool. Back in January 2011, Liverpool spent £22.8 million ($30.4 million) to sign Luis Suarez from Ajax.
While that may not seem like a huge transfer fee in today's market, Suarez was Liverpool's record signing at the time, just like Isak is now. Andy Carroll snatched Suarez's record a few hours later when he arrived from Newcastle for £35 million ($46.7 million).
Like Isak, much was expected of Suarez. The Uruguayan scored 81 goals in 110 league games for Ajax to capture Liverpool's interest.
Despite his outstanding record in the Netherlands, Suarez needed time to adjust at Anfield. He scored just twice in his first nine Premier League appearances.
Suarez ended up finishing his first half-season in England with just four goals to his name. Remind you of a certain Swedish striker?
Suarez became a legend
Despite Suarez's slow start at Liverpool, he soon burst into life. The striker scored 78 goals in all competitions across his next three seasons with the Reds, helping them win the League Cup in 2012 and come agonizingly close to Premier League glory in 2014.
Suarez went on to play for the likes of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, winning trophies in Spain, Uruguay, Brazil, and the United States. He's scored more than 500 goals during his successful club career and won 143 senior caps for his country.
What Suarez's story shows is that Isak still has plenty of time to follow in his footsteps and become a legend at Anfield. The former Borussia Dortmund star has already proven he can finish; his goal against West Ham was as instinctive and clinical as they come.
Isak has agreed a long-term contract at Anfield and won't be defined by his first seven Premier League games for the Reds. But with the team struggling in ninth in the Premier League, he'll be determined to start scoring sooner rather than later.
The striker is yet to complete 90 minutes for Liverpool in the Premier League, with Arne Slot admitting that's a concern. "That’s not the way you want to start your career at Liverpool," said the Liverpool boss. "It is far, far from an ideal situation."
But as Slot continued: "This club doesn’t buy a player for half a year. We bought him for six years."
Reds fans will hope Isak's time will come, just like Suarez's did 15 years ago. Liverpool's No. 9 is set to get another chance to impress in the Premier League when Liverpool takes on Leeds at Elland Road on Saturday.
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