Alexander Isak 'won't improve' Mohamed Salah as Liverpool sent warning over 'freak'

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Liverpool Echo IconSportFootballLiverpool FCFormer Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann believes Mohamed Salah is showing signs of starting to deteriorate due to ageLiverpool have been told to expect the number of Mohamed Salah's goal contributions won't be improved by the arrival of Alexander Isak, who became the British transfer record signing when he arrived at Anfield from Newcastle United for £125million last month.The Sweden international has since been working on his fitness having been forced to train throughout pre-season away from the Newcastle first team as he sought a move to the Premier League champions.Isak scored his first goal last week in the League Cup win against Southampton and is expected to lead the attack in the Premier League trip to Chelsea on Saturday evening with doubts over the fitness of Hugo Ekitike.READ MORE: Curtis Jones makes alarming admission about Liverpool's defeat to GalatasarayREAD MORE: Galatasaray boss rubs salt in Liverpool wounds after beating Reds - 'A sense of fear'Salah, meanwhile, has three goals and three assists in nine outings this season as Liverpool continue to adapt to a new-look forward line with £116m Florian Wirtz in an attacking midfield role.But former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann believes age is catching up with the Egyptian and the focal point of the forward line may shift following the arrival of Isak and Wirtz."Salah found it hard to score from open play in the second half of last season," said Hamann. "Once you get past 30, and he’s 33 now, there aren’t an awful lot of players scoring on a consistent basis in the Premier League."You’ve got Lewandowski, who does it, you’ve got Kane; in the Premier League, you don’t.

Salah was a freak of nature, very rarely injured, and the numbers he got. But I think everything will deteriorate at some stage, and I think we saw it at times last season."Hamann, speaking to Grosvenor Casino, added: "Again, this year, he hasn’t found it easier to score goals, creating or getting chances.

The dynamics changed as well because in the past, Salah was the guy they looked for."Now it might be Wirtz, even though he’s had a very disappointing start to his Liverpool career, and now with Isak coming in, obviously, there are two ways of seeing it."You can say there’s another guy taking attention and maybe taking balls away from Salah. On the other hand, you can say maybe it gives him a bit more space because they have to look after two or three top players."My gut feeling is that the arrival of Isak won’t improve Salah’s numbers."