How Liverpool can line up with Isak, Ekitike, Wirtz and Salah after blockbuster transfers

Liverpool's summer spending has now exceeded £200million following the acquisition of Hugo Ekitike from Frankfurt, filling a gap in the No. 9 position. This move was seen by many as an alternative to Alexander Isak, who would have been more difficult and costly to secure. However, with news that the Newcastle forward is considering his options, rumours of a move to Anfield have resurfaced.

Despite a quiet summer last year, Liverpool seem to still have the capacity to invest over £100m, which is the estimated cost to secure Isak. The Reds and Arne Slot are believed to remain interested and would face little competition if they pursued Isak.

However, whether Liverpool can successfully integrate Isak into their starting line-up remains uncertain. While squad depth is important, trying to accommodate over £200m worth of strikers, both vying for the No. 9 spot, could prove problematic and potentially cause internal issues within the team.

Harmony can often be undervalued, but bringing in Isak would certainly leave Slot with a dilemma that is both appealing and problematic.

Mohamed Salah remains the only player guaranteed his position on the right flank. Everything else remains open to discussion.

However, any boardroom that invests a British-record £116m on a player will expect him to feature regularly if he is to justify that outlay.

Florian Wirtz comes with enormous expectations and is anticipated to operate in an attacking midfield role just behind the striker. That would essentially rule out the possibility of deploying Isak in a deeper position behind Ekitike.

It may mean one of Isak or Ekitike - most likely the latter - would be stationed wide to allow Slot to accommodate all his new signings in one starting XI.

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The Frenchman has operated from the left previously, but that does intensify the rumours surrounding Luis Diaz, who would typically feature from that flank.

The Colombian has attracted interest from Bayern Munich. Liverpool haven't begun contract discussions but maintain Diaz is not available for transfer. The player himself has remained coy about his future plans.

But witnessing a marquee signing arrive who is expected to play in his role may not be welcomed. Diaz himself has stated: "I am very calm where I am and very happy."

The former Porto star also insisted he would "make the best decision for me" and Bayern are allegedly prepared to return with a fresh and enhanced proposal. Selling Diaz could significantly contribute to the hefty sum required to secure Isak.

The Colombian player himself could fetch a price tag of over £60m, which would directly aid in challenging Newcastle's determination.

The club certainly has two viable options if they wish to acquire Isak. Firstly, they could sign both the Newcastle star and Ekitike, accepting that only one can start regularly.

Alternatively, they could pursue Isak as their primary attacker, reposition Ekitike on the wing but accept that Diaz will be keen to leave.

Beyond the attacking foursome, the team is starting to find its footing. Ryan Gravenberch has asserted his dominance in midfield, with Alexis Mac Allister providing excellent support.

Virgil van Dijk continues to lead the defence alongside Ibrahima Konate, whose future remains uncertain. However, the two central defenders may need to adjust to new full-backs Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez.