Sir Kenny Dalglish spots what Alexander Isak is already doing to improve Florian Wirtz at Liverpool

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Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz have struggled for varying reasons since arriving at Liverpool, but they could be the key to unlocking each other’s potential.

The Reds spent a combined £241 million and broke the British transfer record twice to acquire the pair from Bayer Leverkusen and Newcastle United.

Isak was non-existent against Crystal Palace on his last Premier League start, but the Swede has leeway at Anfield, considering he did not participate in any pre-season preparations in the North East.

Wirtz, on the other hand, has massively underwhelmed across his eight outings thus far; the German has struggled to adapt and was subsequently dropped for the Merseyside derby.

While their struggles did not improve in the 1-0 loss against Galatasaray in the Champions League, their developing chemistry on the pitch could soon be the solution to the Reds’ problems.

Alexander Isak can be the key to unlocking Florian Wirtz

On the Stick to Football podcast, Liverpool legend Sir Kenny Dalglish shared his thoughts on the summer signings, believing he has spotted signs that they are already developing a connection.

“The first thing he needs to do is what he’s doing at the moment. He’s great at taking the ball into the feet, he’ll open himself up, and the pass has beat you, but he’s still got control of it.

“Or he’ll take it the other way back past you to go that way, and you’re going this way. He can see what’s in front of him, and once he gets it…I saw Isak the other day, the second half when he came on, I think, and he’s talking to one of the boys about his movement, what he would do.

“And the boy is sitting and listening to him, and once they get on the same wavelength…by the way, that wee fella, he could open a can of soup.”

Liverpool lost possession 126 times in Istanbul, with three of their summer arrivals each losing the ball more than 10 times on the night.

The performances have flattered to deceive throughout the beginning of the season, but consecutive defeats across all competitions have now raised the alarms on Merseyside.

Former Liverpool duo Jamie Carragher and Jurgen Klopp have accused Arne Slot of being too attacking this year, as opposed to last, sacrificing defensive stability to accommodate the strengths of his new-look side.

Wirtz has been constantly scrutinised for his underwhelming displays, and while the general consensus at Anfield remains positive for the time being, he has been labelled as one of the main problems currently facing the Reds.

Arne Slot should drop Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak

It is safe to say that once Wirtz and Isak find their feet at Anfield, the pair will undoubtedly catapult Liverpool to new heights.

However, Isak still has a long way to go before he can complete a full 90 minutes for Slot, and although Wirtz is showing glimpses of his quality, he is, for the most part, far too suspect on the ball.

For now, at least until they show they are ready to perform, Slot must manage their minutes as much as possible to ensure the two defeats suffered over the last week are nothing but a mere blip.

Ekitike’s form means the Frenchman must be one of the first names on the team sheet, and Liverpool can revert to the midfield three that helped claim the Premier League crown last season.

Indeed, benching £241m worth of talent will be difficult to justify regardless of current form, but Slot must stay true to his word and only select the players who are performing the best at this moment in time.