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Joleon Lescott explains why Alexander Isak won’t be Liverpool’s top scorer this season

Originally posted on HITC | By Zak Anderton | Last updated Sep 12, 2025 4:51 PM ET

Alexander Isak headlined Liverpool’s summer signings, and it was no secret that he was the club’s top target going into the window.

The Sweden striker had been linked with a move to Anfield for months, and while negotiations dragged on until deadline day, both sides were keen to get the deal done.

Even in early training sessions, Isak has already shown why Liverpool pushed so hard to bring him in. He looks sharp and ready to make an impact.

With Hugo Ekitike also joining this summer, there are questions about how Arne Slot plans to use his two new forwards. Both have the quality to start, but it remains to be seen how they will fit into his system.

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Isak was one of the standout strikers in the Premier League last season, but Joleon Lescott has suggested that he might not overshadow Mohamed Salah.

Joleon Lescott does not see Alexander Isak finishing as Liverpool’s top scorer

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Given that Isak is strictly a centre-forward, it is expected he will play centrally, with Ekitike and Cody Gakpo sharing time on the left, while Mohamed Salah and Federico Chiesa will likely feature on the right.

Even with players like Florian Wirtz and Salah around to create chances, Lescott is not convinced that the Swede will finish the season as Liverpool’s leading scorer.

He pointed out that Salah not only takes penalties but also rarely rotates out of the side.

“Oh, no way [whether Isak will be Liverpool’s top scorer],” Lescott said while speaking on All Out Football.

“Salah, Salah is taking all the pens, he’s going to take all the pens, isn’t he? I also believe that they will rotate Isak. Salah isn’t getting rotated.”

Why Alexander Isak faces a tough path to becoming Liverpool’s leading scorer

Isak’s tally of over 20 Premier League goals last season was impressive, but with Salah finishing as the league’s top scorer, it is clear who the main man is at Anfield.

Salah put together a career-best campaign and was vital to Liverpool’s success. Take him out of the side, and their season would have looked very different.

Even on his off days, he still found ways to deliver for Arne Slot. But that does not take anything away from what Isak accomplished either.

He was Newcastle’s standout performer under Eddie Howe, capable of creating something out of nothing and developing a strong partnership with Anthony Gordon along the way.

While he will miss that connection with Gordon, the step up in quality around him at Liverpool could help him raise his game even further.

Overtaking Salah as the club’s top scorer will not be easy, but if Isak can pick up where he left off or even push on from there, Slot may have two forwards capable of driving Liverpool forward this season.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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