So it was 2016, and I’d heard a lot of hype about two players: Ebenezer Ofori from Ghana and Chinedu Obasi from Nigeria. Both were playing for AIK in Sweden. 

The talk was that Ebenezer was going to be the next big thing. “If you watch him,” people said, “you’ll see Xavi.” It wasn’t just talk either. His passing range, his composure in midfield; it made sense. But that day, as I sat watching AIK, what caught my eye was someone else. 

A tall, wiry forward. Gliding across the pitch like a winger, finishing like an elite striker. He didn’t look 17, but he was. I turned to my brother and asked, “Who is that?” He smiled and said, “That’s Isak. The next Ibrahimović.”

 I’ve followed his career ever since. 

From AIK to Dortmund, from being called “the Swedish Ibra” to finding his own name in lights. And now, in 2025, Liverpool are reportedly exploring a deal that could value Alexander Isak at £150 million, potentially a British record fee. But is he really worth that kind of money?

Let’s get into the data.

Per‑90 stats (vs forwards, top five leagues & UCL): 

Isak has grown from a raw teen with scary potential into a complete Premier League forward. At Newcastle United, he’s been the heartbeat of Eddie Howe’s attack. 

Here’s what the numbers say from the 2024/25 Premier League season:

📊Goals: 23 (2nd highest among attackers) 
📊Expected Goals: 0.66 (89th percentile) 
📊Assists: 0.20 (77th percentile) 
📊Shots per 90: 3.10 (79th percentile) 
📊Progressive Carries: 2.71 (93rd percentile) 
📊Successful Take‑Ons: 1.37 (92nd percentile) 
📊Touches in Box: 6.17 (86th percentile) 
📊Shot‑Creating Actions (SCA): 3.00 (84th percentile) 
📊 Goal‑Creating Actions (GCA): 0.46 (83rd percentile) 
📊Conversion rate: 28% 

He’s not just scoring. He’s dropping deep, running channels, combining with midfielders. At 1.92m, he’s tall enough to be a target man but light enough on his feet to glide past defenders like a winger. A rare duality.

Isak is operating near elite numbers in a tough league.

Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp, but Liverpool’s core identity remains: vertical transitions, high pressing, and dynamic movement in the final third.

Would Isak suit that?

The data leans yes:

📊Pressures in the final third per 90: 5.83 
📊Passes received under pressure: 11.6 per 90 
📊Top speed: 33.6 km/h (similar to Nunez) 

Isak thrives when there's chaos, when space opens up and he can make a darting run or flash a finish near-post. He doesn’t need 5 chances to score. He creates two of them on his own.

One Liverpool fan wrote: “Isak is everything Nunez is supposed to be, but with grace.”

Still, he’s not a perfect fit. He doesn't always drop into midfield as fluidly as Firmino did, and he’s not as direct as peak Mane. But what he does offer is composure in front of goal, great hold-up play, and clinical movement off the ball, exactly what Liverpool lacked in tight away games last season.

In the last two seasons at Newcastle, Isak has scored 52 goals and provided 8 assists in 82 games. That’s a direct goal involvement every 1.36 matches, elite output in the Premier League. Over 6,297 minutes, his numbers per 90 are even sharper. 

Now here’s the red flag. Since 2022 alone, Isak has missed 39 games, spent 206 days injured. With recurring issues in his groin, thigh, and hamstring. 

He’s had 13 separate injuries in the past seven seasons, some short-term, others long (the 107-day thigh injury in 2022 stands out). While none have been career-threatening, the pattern is clear — he’s prone to muscular setbacks, especially during congested fixture periods. 

That introduces a performance risk, and knocks 10-15% off any realistic valuation. 

Let’s cut to it. MSport’s valuation model, built on performance stats, age profile, fitness record, Injury history, and market inflation, rates Isak at around £102M. That’s elite-level pricing. But £150 M? That’s nearly 50% over market value.

There’s no doubt: Alexander Isak is a superstar in the making. If Liverpool wants to move away from chaos and toward control, he’s a perfect striker to lead that evolution. 

But £150M? 

As the MSport DataScout I would say: 

He's elite, but not untouchable. The data says no… not at that price.

Still, for those who’ve followed him since that cold Swedish evening in 2016, it’s not about the numbers. It’s about a 17-year-old boy who moved like a ghost and finished like a veteran.

And maybe, just maybe, the next Ibrahimović is writing his own story now.