Liverpool have 'pulled off Alexander Isak deal before' as FSG can learn from past

In the summer of 2007, the hierarchy in English football looked a little different. Sir Alex Ferguson's rebuilding mission at Manchester United had culminated in a first Premier League title in five seasons, denying Jose Mourinho's Chelsea three successive crowns.

Despite having reached another Champions League final before losing to AC Milan, third-placed Liverpool trailed considerably behind the two powerhouses of English football. Under Rafa Benitez, the Reds have finished third, 21 points off United and were peripheral figures in the title race. American businessmen George Gillett and Tom Hicks had purchased the club during the campaign, but despite later drawing much scepticism from fans, one of their first transfer moves was to prove a masterful one.

At the time, Atletico Madrid's Fernando Torres was viewed as the most clinical and in-demand young striker in world football. Despite fierce competition from other European giants, Liverpool FC pulled out all the stops and persuaded the 23-year-old Spanish sensation to join in a club record deal worth around £32million.

It was a coup that could, and fans on Merseyside still argue should, have changed the course of history. Prior to the notorious move to Chelsea in January 2011, a switch that tainted the perception and ultimately derailed Torres's form, he struck 81 times in 142 games in red.

His first season saw 33 goals in all competitions, surpassing the previous club record set by Michael Owen. His second saw 17 more added, and it should have been the haul that secured Liverpool's title. Instead, amid the Benitez meltdown over 'facts', they faltered when it mattered and finished four points off United.

At his best in that period, few on the planet were able to match him. His dismantling of Nemanja Vidic in Liverpool's 4-1 at Old Trafford remains cemented in folklore, and assumably still gives the Serbian nightmares.

Now, FSG have the chance to repeat one of the few feathers in the previous regime's cap. Links have emerged with Alexander Isak, who, like Torres 18 years ago, is developing into one of the world's best and is being eyed by the giants of European football.

Capturing Florian Wirtz is one thing, but paying more than £100million to snare Isak would send out a shuddering message to domestic and Champions League rivals. It would be a statement that essentially says last season's feats were not enough for a club craving further dominance.

The fee might be extortionate, but the long-term rewards Isak could bring alongside Mohamed Salah and Alexis Mac Allister in attack would comfortably reimburse the costs. Like with Torres and Hicks and Gillett, FSG should take the gamble.

If they do, supporters at Anfield won't just hope for more success under Arne Slot. They'll expect it.