Pep Guardiola responds to Arne Slot over Isak ‘best striker’ claim

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Pep Guardiola has responded to Arne Slot’s assessment that Alexander Isak is “maybe the best striker in the world”.

Arne Slot was discussing the fitness of new mega-money star ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Burnley this Sunday.

Alexander Isak’s last competitive game for Newcastle was a full 90-minute match against Everton on May 25.

Since then, the 25-year-old has played only 18 minutes – a brief substitute appearance for Sweden against Kosovo earlier this week, ending a 106-day absence from competitive football.

Newcastle’s medical team had serious doubts about his fitness before his exit and had prepared a recovery plan in case he returned to Eddie Howe’s squad.

Arne Slot thanked Sweden boss Jon Dahl Tomasson for managing Isak’s minutes, simultaneously also labelleing Isak as “maybe the best striker in the world”:

“First of all I think the Swedish manager, Jon Dahl Tomasson, deserves a big, big, big compliment because he gets one of the best, maybe the best striker in the world in and needs to play two very important games for his country, but understands if he would play him twice for 90 minutes the player would have probably been injured for multiple weeks,” he said ahead of Burnley.

And ahead of the Manchester derby this weekend, Pep Guardiola was given Arne Slot’s quotes and asked where he ranked Erling Haaland in comparison:

“A little bit above,” was his reply.

He added that the transfer fee says it all about Isak’s quality:

“Isak is an exceptional player.

You asked me about Erling and he is top.”

“Isak must be a top player because of what they paid.

I like him.”

And while the £125million the Reds paid for Isak is eye-catching, the Times have revealed that his fee will be paid over four installments.

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