5. Liverpool cannot let him join a rival
For the last item on the list, I’ll remind you of the first rule of the transfer window: anything can happen.
While Isak had reportedly identified Liverpool as his ideal destination, Liverpool’s failure to secure a deal for him now will leave the door for the Swedish forward to join a rival wide open when the window reopens in January.
As strong as the foundations are for Liverpool to continue to reign at the summit of English football, an Isak-equipped Arsenal or Chelsea (Manchester City are unlikely to pursue the Newcastle star as long as Erling Haaland remains at the Etihad) would make the Reds’ path to further domestic success a whole lot more treacherous in the coming years.
The same, of course, goes for any of Liverpool’s chief competitors for a place on the Champions League winners’ podium.