Barcelona waiting for a sign in extraordinary Alexander Isak deal attempt

Last year Liverpool spent around £450m on new players.

It was to no great effect as the defending Premier League champions slumped from first to fifth place.

The Reds struggled to get a return out of top signings like Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz. Isak, 26, cost a British record £125m from Newcastle but endured a nightmare campaign.

Wirtz on the other hand cost a fee that could reach £116m from Bayer Leverkusen and his Anfield career is still waiting to catch light.

Isak broke his leg in December and by the end of the season had scored only four goals. Sporting director Richard Hughes will be expecting a lot more bang for his book - especially if the Sweden striker sticks around for the duration of his six-year contract.

Barcelona want opportunistic deal for Isak

There are however signs on the horizon that Liverpool may soon be facing up to the prospect of cutting their losses on Isak.

Barcelona are reported to have been scouting the No9 at the FIFA World Cup - where Sweden got knocked out by France at the round of 32 stage.

Isak has experienced a mini-revival at the North American tournament - scoring once and providing a trio of assists for his national team.

And now Fichajes has claimed that Isak has once again emerged as a potential market opportunity for Barcelona - who missed out on signing him a couple of years ago.

Barcelona want encouragement from Isak

Barca believe that Isak’s plummeting value - said to be around €85m these days - opens the door slightly to a deal.

The Catalans have got Robert Lewandowski’s hefty wages off the books and are believed to have the firepower to finance a major deal this summer.

The report claims Barca decision-makers are now waiting for a signal from Isak in order to activate the deal - fully aware that such an operation is not going to be easy to pull off.

“Alexander Isak has once again emerged as a transfer target for FC Barcelona after a World Cup in which Sweden put him back in the spotlight,” the report reads.

“The 26-year-old Liverpool striker was reportedly scouted live by Barcelona representatives during his matches with the Swedish national team.

“That price drop doesn't make the operation easy, but it does open a window that seemed impossible a year ago.

“FC Barcelona isn't in a position to enter an uncontrolled bidding war, although it can make a move if it detects that the player wants a change of scenery.”

Isak's Liverpool future still looks secure

It would be surprising in the extreme if Liverpool decided to give up on Isak at this early stage. He was without a decent preseason last year - arriving unfit - and it took him a long time to build up his match fitness.

With a decent preseason under his belt alongside new head coach Andoni Iraola we could soon see Isak back at his swashbuckling best. If - and when - that happens there is little chance of the outgoing Premier League champions bidding farewell.