Liverpool have found a player who could rob the number 9 shirt from Isak

Devoid of a pre-season, prior to being cut in half by Micky van de Ven, Liverpool‘s Alexander Isak simply never got going in 2025/26.

Of course, his fitness woes were in part self-inflicted amid his Newcastle United exile last summer, yet even so, it always felt like the Swede was chasing his tail, left playing catch-up after a delayed start to life at Anfield.

Thankfully, the £125m man is beginning to make up for lost time under this new Andoni Iraola regime, scoring four goals across the first five Premier League games of the season.

He finally appears to have found his scoring touch again, yet will injury again hamper his momentum on Merseyside?

What’s the situation with Isak’s Sweden withdrawal?

Following the draw with former club Newcastle United on the opening weekend, in which Isak spurned the chance to take that stoppage-time penalty, it felt like it could be one of those seasons again for the 25-year-old.

A tap-in against Nottingham Forest has got him going since then, however, seemingly striking up a fruitful partnership with Cody Gakpo as the pair again twice combined against Ipswich Town.

The difference-maker away at Bournemouth, Isak looked to have maintained his hot streak with his country too, firing home in Sweden’s Nations League win over Romania.

Alas, his delight proved short-lived as it was revealed post-match that he had sustained a thigh injury, one that will see him miss his country’s remaining Nations League games this month.

National team boss, Graham Potter, suggested it was only a “small problem”, with the decision for Isak to return to Merseyside only taken due to the right turnaround of games.

Even so, with the return to Premier League action just over a week away, that will still be of concern to Iraola, not least after all the issues faced by the striker last season.

Equally too, with Hugo Ekitike still stepping up his return to action, there isn’t a standout centre-forward alternative, even with Lewis Koumas earning rave reviews of late.

Perhaps it might be an opportunity for Iraola to thrust Liverpool’s future number nine into the limelight instead.

Why Liverpool might already have the future number 9

Looking back to the likes of Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler, the academy ranks have so often provided gold dust when it comes to modern-day Liverpool strikers.

There is hope that the aforementioned Koumas can be a breakout star this season, the 21-year-old already something of a fan favourite due to his relentless work ethic and pressing ability.

Whether he can prove a consistent threat in front of goal remains to be seen, however, having notably scored just four Championship goals last season.

In terms of who might actually be the player to rival Isak for that number shirt later down the line, that honour falls to 18-year-old goal machine, Will Wright, the teenager ripping it up again at academy level.

The former Salford City starlet has already scored six times in just six games in all competitions this season, five of which have come in just four Premier League 2 outings.

He currently ranks among the leading scorers in that competition, a fine achievement considering he is already operating at U21 level at the age of just 18.

For Liverpool’s U21 side in general, he boasts a record of 18 goals and assists in just 21 games, having previously made four first-team appearances back at Salford.

REUTERS/Phil Noble

He didn’t score at that level for the Class of 92-owned club, but boy was he prolific at youth level, scoring 40-plus goals in 2024/25, prior to sealing a £200k switch to Anfield.

Premier League rivals Arsenal had been hot on his heels at the time of the move, yet snapping Wright up for a relative bargain fee looks like particularly astute business for FSG.

That point was only recently reinforced even further following his exploits against Rochdale in the EFL Trophy, embarking on a stunning solo run that included an outrageous nutmeg inside the area.

He duly finished with aplomb into the roof of the net, showcasing all the signs of a player who might get his chance in the senior ranks before too long.

Isak better watch out, Liverpool’s future number nine is looking just as menacing in front of goal right now.