Liverpool need a new No.9 - and awesome Alexander Isak would be the ideal striker for Arne Slot

Slot's post-match revelation that Diogo Jota "could only play 60" minutes of last Wednesday's 2-2 with Aston Villa was depressingly unsurprising.

The forward may have missed a glorious chance towards the tail end of the first half, but he was having "a very good game", as his manager admitted, having already teed up Salah for the opener. He'd also just hit the bar with a fine strike from just outside the area before being replaced by Darwin Nunez.

However, Slot explained that he had to protect Jota, who only returned from his latest muscular issue in the Merseyside Derby against Everton on August 12. The thinking was that an early withdrawal would ensure that the injury-prone Portuguese would be available for Sunday's trip to the Etihad. He wasn't, though.

Jota informed Slot on Saturday that he "wasn't fully recovered yet", with the versatile Cody Gakpo also only fit to take a seat on the bench while Federico Chiesa is yet to be trusted to start a single league since joining from Juventus last summer. Slot, then, was faced with the usual Nunez dilemma.

The Uruguayan had missed a sitter after coming on for Jota at Villa Park, and was so badly affected by the failure in front of goal that he became a passenger for the remainder of the game, leading to a very rare public rebuke from Slot.

"I can accept every miss, especially from a player that has scored two very important goals against Brentford, that's scored for us in the home game against Villa. Players miss chances, that I can accept," the Reds boss said. "But what was a bit harder for me to accept [was] his behaviour after that chance, and with behaviour I mean I think it got too much in his head where he wasn't the usual Darwin that works his [backside] off and makes sure he helps the team.

"I think he was too disappointed after missing that chance and maybe – we will never know, we will never find out - that's why he was just a fraction short [in] the moment afterwards. It's not about the chance for me, it's more about the 20 minutes afterwards where I want to talk to him about than about him missing a chance."

What little hope Nunez had of replacing Jota up top against City was effectively killed by his calamitous cameo against Villa. Slot knew that Liverpool were going to have to work incredibly hard at the Etihad as it was, and he decided against picking the maddeningly inconsistent striker because "defending in and around his box is not Darwin's main strength".

Obviously, Nunez's pace could have been useful on the break, but it's not like he could have any complaints about being left out given he's failed to contribute a goal or assist in the league since the middle of January. There were moments of real encouragement and progress during his first two years at Liverpool, but this season has been a step backwards.

He's simply not good enough to start up front for Liverpool and it now appears inevitable that he will be offloaded at the end of the current campaign, with the Reds likely praying that another Saudi Pro League club will make a generous offer for the former Benfica ace this summer, after Al-Nassr's advances were rejected during the January transfer window.

The club's stance may have made sense at the time, as it would have been risky to sell Nunez in the middle of a title challenge without a replacement already lined up in the notoriously difficult January transfer window, but it will be a different story in June, particularly as his sale would generate funds for a forward truly worthy of Liverpool's No.9 jersey.

It was reported last month that Slot sees Isak as the 'perfect' striker for his side - and there's really no reason to doubt the veracity of those claims. There's probably not a manager in the world that wouldn't want the Swede in his side right now. On the eve of Newcastle's visit to Anfield, Slot even felt compelled to correct a journalist who had pointed out that Isak was in "fine form" going into the game.

"I think that's an understatement," the former Feyenoord coach said during Tuesday's pre-match press conference. "He is in excellent form!" And has been pretty much ever since he last faced Liverpool.

Isak's thumping strike in the 3-3 draw with the Reds at St. James' Park on December 4 was the first of 11 goals in eight consecutive Premier League games. After Sunday's double in Newcastle's 4-3 win over Nottingham Forest, he now has 19 in 24 outings so far this season - only Salah has more (25), and the idea that the two could be lining up alongside one another next season is a mouth-watering prospect for Liverpool supporters.

One imagines that captain Virgil van Dijk would also dearly love to play with Isak rather than against him, given the 25-year-old is one of the few attackers in world football that has actually managed to ruffle the Dutchman in recent seasons with his blistering pace and clever movement.

It must be immediately acknowledged, though, that wanting Isak is one thing; actually managing to sign him is quite another. For starters, Arsenal are far more desperate for a goal-scorer than Liverpool, as their bizarre refusal to bring in a proper striker looks set to cost them dearly in a third consecutive title race. One can be sure, then, that if Newcastle were to give any inclination that they'd be willing to listen to offers for Isak at the end of the season, the Gunners would be scrambling to get to the head of the queue.

The Magpies certainly won't want to lose their star centre-forward while he's at the peak of his powers, but we know that the club's Saudi Arabian owners have been seriously hindered by the Premier League's Profit & Sustainability Rules (which almost led to them selling Anthony Gordon to Liverpool last summer), and there's a very real fear that failure to qualify for next season's Champions League could force Newcastle's hand.

In that sense, Wednesday's meeting on Merseyside is a massive game for both the hosts and the visitors, who currently sit fifth in the standings, which should be enough to secure qualification for Europe's premier cup competition with England currently well on course to secure an extra spot for 2025-26.

Liverpool, though, will be desperate to take another huge step towards a second Premier League title, and damaging Newcastle's Champions League prospects certainly wouldn't hurt their chances of landing Isak, who we already know is a big fan of the atmosphere at Anfield and is said to be very open to the idea of moving to Merseyside.

Of course, even if Newcastle need to cash in on their most valuable player, they won't let him go on the cheap. The Toon would demand a nine-figure fee for Isak - but they'd likely get it too.

Liverpool should certainly have money to spend after only bringing in Chiesa last summer for a knockdown fee while also lining up Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili for next season, and although they were badly burned by the disastrous Nunez deal, there would likely be a willingness to spend big on Isak given he's already proven himself in the Premier League.

Slot has repeatedly pointed out that he wasn't upset by Liverpool's relatively quiet transfer market last summer because he knew that his predecessor, Jurgen Klopp, had left him a squad in rude health, and so it's proven. With some clever alterations, such as utilising Ryan Gravenberch as a No.6 and putting Gakpo in his preferred position on the left wing, Slot has Liverpool perfectly primed for Premier League glory - and a deep run in the Champions League is certainly not beyond them either.

However, the Reds are clearly short of world-class quality in some key areas - and it's significant that Slot has already stated that there will be some significant signings this summer no matter what happens with the expiring contracts of Salah, Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Indeed, it would be a major surprise if Liverpool do not, at the very least, belatedly address their longstanding issues at left-back and centre-half.

It's been obvious over the past few months, though, that Slot also needs a new No.9. As Sunday showed, he simply cannot count on either Jota or Nunez for one reason or another. Granted, Robertson was right that the game couldn't have gone much better - and the same pretty much goes for Liverpool's season overall. But there is undeniably room for improvement - and that's no bad thing.

Slot is poised to effectively win the league with Klopp's squad. Imagine what he could go on to achieve with one shaped more in his own image - particularly if he can add the best striker in the Premier League to its best team....