Football fans have grown increasingly concerned about Alexander Isak after footage of his performance during Liverpool’s 4-2 defeat to Leeds United went viral this week. The Reds had raced into a two-goal lead with just half an hour remaining in Chicago on Sunday night, only to concede four times in a humiliating collapse.

The bigger picture must be considered, with many of Andoni Iraola’s players still building back their form and match sharpness after a long summer break during pre-season. There also remain several key absentees making their way back into the squad after featuring at the 2026 World Cup.

That said, with British-record signing Isak now having had enough time to settle in and prove himself at Liverpool, scrutiny has naturally increased.

After spending much of the 2025/26 season either sidelined through injury or working overtime with coaches to regain his fitness, Premier League viewers are keeping a close eye on the former Newcastle talisman’s progress, with few excuses remaining for him not to be fully fit and firing.

Across four World Cup appearances this summer, Isak scored once and produced three assists for his Sweden teammates, sparking the belief among the Anfield faithful that he was finally ready to contribute more significantly to his club’s attacking output.

In the first compilation of his pre-season performances, however, criticism has come thick and fast, with one X user remarking (watch his highlights below):

A second continued: “He looks dreadful,” as another claimed he’s “not the same player”, and a third wrote: “Where did his speed go.” Elsewhere, a fourth asked: “How has he already lost a step at like 26?” as a fifth concluded: “Liverpool Isak reminds me of Chelsea [Fernando] Torres.”

Liverpool Look Thin on the Ground Heading Into New Season

Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley

The concern around Liverpool right now isn’t limited to just their £125 million striker. A social media post earlier this week revealed just how limited Iraola’s options are going into the 2026/27 campaign, and while the recruitment team have spent the last few months addressing the void Mohamed Slaah left behind upon his contract expiry, they’ve completely ignored the problems in defence.

As things stand, Virgil van Dijk and Jeremy Jacquet are the club’s only two fit centre-backs as Joe Gomez once again picked up an injury, while rumours begin to swirl that Jeremie Frimpong may have to be the square peg in the round hole and fill in at the heart of defence at certain flashpoints of the season.

The problem stems from the fact Liverpool already have 16 non-homegrown players. The maximum is 17, so signing Bradley Barcola means the Reds can’t sign any more non-home-grown players, and they need outgoings before buying again.

A reluctance to move on deadwood, as well as spending too much time addressing one area for improvement at a time, is costing the club dearly. Now, it remains to be seen if their new manager is a miracle-worker following his Bournemouth fairytale after all.

Tottenham have opened talks to sign another new defender in the summer transfer window.

Strengthening Roberto De Zerbi’s defence has already been a major priority for Spurs in the summer market.

Jan-Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson have all arrived through the door to strengthen Tottenham’s defensive options.

Spurs have also strengthened in midfield, but it appears they are not done when it comes to defensive reinforcements.

We’re likely to see the North London club bring in new attacking options over the coming weeks, but they appear to be keen to sign reinforcements all over the pitch.

It’s already been an incredibly busy summer transfer window for Tottenham, and they don’t appear to be slowing down.

Tottenham open defender talks

REUTERS/Hollie Adams

According to reports, Tottenham have opened talks with the representatives of Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini in the summer transfer window.

Spurs face competition from a number of clubs, including Chelsea and Newcastle, while Atalanta have slapped a £42 million price tag on his head.

Scalvini, described as ‘elite’ by scout Jacek Kulig, is keen on a move to the Premier League this summer, so personal terms are not expected to be an issue.

Although it may seem a little overkill for Tottenham to bring in another defender, they could lose Cristian Romero later in the window.

Zerbi clearly wants to bring in top-level players all over the pitch, so it could be a busy end. It can be a busy few weeks for Spurs.

Romero set to leave Tottenham

The reason for Tottenham’s pursuit of Scalvini could be the fact that defender Romero could be leaving the club in the coming weeks.

Inter Milan have reportedly agreed a deal to sign the Argentinian defender this summer as he edges closer to heading through the exit door.

Spurs have already brought in two centre-backs in the summer transfer window, but as mentioned, De Zerbi will want plenty of depth throughout his squad.

Tottenham do face competition when it comes to trying to secure the signature of Scalvini, who stands at around six feet and four inches. It will be interesting to see whether they firm up their interest in the coming weeks.

The Palestine Football Association have shared a powerful statement as they’ve spoken out against FIFA amid the ongoing controversy relating to president Gianni Infantino.

The FIFA boss has faced a huge amount of backlash after it emerged that he planned to create a new commercial subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprises (FFE), with the intention of selling off shares in the World Cup to private investors. The resulting outcry has forced Infantino to scrap the plan, but he’s populairty has never been lower.

UEFA have now declared a lack of confidence in the football administrator, with Wales the first nation to officially withdraw support for Infantino ahead of the 2027 election. Amid the drama, Palestine have revealed where they stand.

Palestine Call For ‘Principles at FIFA Amid Conflict in Gaza

In a strong statement, the Palestine Football Association outlined the impact the conflict in Gaza has had on their footballing community. It noted that Israel have killed “more than 1013 footballers, coaches, referees, officials and members of the football family,” while adding that domestic competitions have been stopped.

Amid all this, the statement was very critical of FIFA under Infantino. Noting how it has given its support to the current president in the past, Palestine’s FA stated: “Our national teams cannot enjoy the freedom and the pride experienced by the 210 other FIFA members to play at home,” before adding that “the fundamental issues brought before FIFA remain trapped in an endless cycle of reviews, reports and procedural delays.”

Speaking specifically about the latest FIFA scandal regarding the privatisation of the World Cup, Palestine’s FA said:

The statement accused FIFA of “double standards” and questioned ‘the continued participation of clubs based in Israeli illegal settlements established on occupied Palestinian territory,’ noting that the number of settlement clubs affiliated to the Israeli Football Association increased while FIFA deliberated on the matter.

The Palestinian FA then outlined a need for change in the way FIFA is being run:

Full Palestine Statement in Full

In full, the Palestine FA’s statement read: “The growing debate among FIFA Member Associations about transparency, governance and accountability comes at a defining moment for world football.

“The Palestine Football Association (PFA) has twice placed its trust in FIFA’s current leadership since 2015. We did so believing that reform would mean the consistent application of FIFA’s Statutes, respect for the rights of every Member Association, equal dignity among them and governance guided by principle rather than expediency.

“We waited. We engaged constructively. We respected FIFA’s processes. In return, Palestinian football has endured unprecedented devastation. Amid Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, our football community has suffered catastrophic losses. More than 1013 footballers, coaches, referees, officials and members of the football family have been killed. Stadiums, training grounds and football infrastructure have been systematically destroyed. An entire generation of Palestinian footballers has seen its future placed in jeopardy. Our domestic competitions have been stopped. Our national teams cannot enjoy the freedom and the pride experienced by the 210 other FIFA members to play at home.

“Yet, after more than fifteen years, the fundamental issues brought before FIFA remain trapped in an endless cycle of reviews, reports and procedural delays while Palestinian football faces an existential threat of seeing its very existence denied and destroyed. Many are now questioning the commercial direction of FIFA and whether football’s greatest assets should be treated as financial instruments. Those are legitimate concerns.

“For Palestine, however, the issue is even more fundamental. Our concern is whether FIFA still possesses the institutional courage to uphold its own Statutes equally, without hesitation and without political submission.

“Throughout this period, FIFA’s repeated delays based on double standards as well as legal technicalities to refuse the obvious realities, and silence have not preserved neutrality. They have enabled further violations. Every postponed decision has allowed the situation on the ground to deteriorate while confidence in FIFA’s governance has steadily eroded.

“Nowhere is this clearer than in the continued participation of clubs based in Israeli illegal settlements established on occupied Palestinian territory. While FIFA continued to deliberate, the number of settlement clubs affiliated to the Israeli Football Association increased. By failing to enforce its own Statutes, FIFA has allowed facts on the ground to become further entrenched, undermining its own commitment to the territorial integrity of its Member Associations. Silence, when a genocide is being committed live, amounts to complicity.

“Recent initiatives concerning football development in devastated Gaza, pursued through engagement with a non-football purely-political entity, ignoring and not even consulting the Palestine Football Association, the sole FIFA-recognised governing body of football in Palestine, have only deepened concerns that FIFA is prepared to set aside its own institutional principles when they become inconvenient.

“Palestinian football can no longer afford promises in place of action. As discussions begin about the future leadership of FIFA, Member Associations are rightly demanding greater transparency, accountability and democratic governance. Palestine has been asking for these principles for more than fifteen years.

“Our concern is not who leads FIFA. Our concern is whether FIFA is once again prepared to lead by principle. The threat facing Palestinian football is existential. Time is no longer a luxury we can afford. The transgressor must be held accountable, and FIFA’s Statutes must finally be applied without fear or favour.

“Global football is losing credibility. Restoring that credibility requires leadership that is democratic, transparent and willing to defend the values it proclaims and the international football rule-based order enshrined in the vision of the 1904 founding fathers of FIFA. History will not judge FIFA by the promises it made, but by the principles it was prepared to uphold when they mattered most.”