Liverpool backed to unleash forgotten transfer plan when Mohamed Salah departs

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Liverpool started in a 4-4-2 diamond at Inter in December, a match in which Salah, incidentally, was unavailable.READ MORE: Liverpool legend calls for Alexander Isak caution as injury return beckonsREAD MORE: Robbie Fowler issues 'important' reminder to Liverpool before Mohamed Salah exitFowler believes the decision to sign Isak, Ekitike and Florian Wirtz last year was partly driven by future-proofing for Salah’s departure, although he added that has come sooner than most expected.“I think the work that the club have done in terms of bringing in the players, I think that was maybe with Mo [in mind],” the 50-year-old exclusively told Liverpool.com at a Haier event at Anfield.“I think when you are building football clubs, when you are trying to get a settled team, you're building for the future, so I think that's what the club did in terms of signing Ekitike and obviously Alexander Isak.”But can the potent attackers play together? “I think they can,” replied Fowler, who was used to operating alongside a striking partner during his playing days.Ekitike and Isak have barely played together since joining Liverpool last summer(Image: Getty Images)“Regardless of what you or I think, the plans for the football club were going to happen in terms of them playing together.

I mean, you've got to be realistic and say, you're not going to pay £70 million ($93M) for a player [Ekitike] and not play him.“So there's obviously been that plan. Good players play, good players adapt.“We're talking about top-quality players and you put a red shirt on them, or any shirt, and you go out there and the manager tells you to do something, then you should be able do it."But I'm sure there's been a think tank; there will be a room where everyone's got together and said, 'This is the way forward.'"Robbie Fowler spoke exclusively to Liverpool.com at a promotional Haier event at Anfield(Image: Getty Images)While Fowler preached caution for Isak and his imminent return from an injury absence of nearly four months, he said Ekitike’s ability to quickly adapt to the Premier League has been hugely impressive.“He's been outstanding,” said the former England international.

So when you think of the standout performer, along with [Dominik] Szoboszlai, you've got to look at Eketike as well.“He has come in as a player who hasn't played in the Premier League - you normally have a period where you need to adapt. I think he can, yeah.