1 week ago
82
Thierry Henry gave a brilliant insight into what Liverpool would be getting if the club signs Alexander Isak.
It seems unlikely that Isak will move to Anfield this summer, considering the Reds are about to commit more than $100 million to a deal to sign Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, but there is no doubt that the Swede remains a player who is highly admired on Merseyside.
If the Reds were to receive encouragement from Newcastle over Isak's availability, the Anfield club would no doubt be seriously interested in a deal. Liverpool witnessed Isak's quality close up on two occasions last season, as he scored in the league draw at St. James' Park last December before also netting in the Magpies' Carabao Cup final win at Wembley.
Speaking about Isak's quality a couple of weeks before that final, Arsenal legend Henry praised the 25-year-old, as he addressed comparisons between his own iconic play style and Isak's.
"First and foremost, I don't like comparisons," Henry told SPORTbible. "People like to compare eras and players. He is himself, and he is doing extremely well.
"He is a player that I like because he has the normal movement of a number nine.
"A lot of 'nines' these days don't perform those movements, so suddenly you're like, 'Oh my god, did he just spin on that defender?'
"More often than not these days, nines need to hold it and feed the wingers, or play off them. It's a different job for a number nine these days. In my time, the nine was often one-vs-one at the back. Now, they have to dribble past two or three center-backs.
"It's way more difficult in my eyes for a nine to perform."
Henry added: "What do I like about him? He has the normal movement of a nine. He sees someone who is too close to him, he'll go, spin and go in behind.
"He can finish, he can dribble, and isn't uncomfortable when he goes in from the right or left. He still knows what he can do, that must be from his days playing at Real Sociedad when he used to play on the wings at times. He is a good player, you have to say that."
Asked what Isak can improve on going forward, Henry responded: "You can always improve on everything. I say, 'Do what you do even better.' And that comes with you playing. That comes with you being at a club where, right now, they look at him to bail them out.
"That also brings stuff out of you. You're in a situation where, if they [your teammates] don't score, then I need to. When you're becoming 'the guy' in the team, it gives you wings.
"Sometimes, it can be a bit too heavy, but he looks like a guy who accepts it and embraces that. The sky's the limit for him. Who knows how far he is going to go. That's on him to show us."
English (US) ·