Alexander Isak has spoken candidly about his emotional state following the dismissal of Liverpool manager Arne Slot, describing a sense of disconnection from the club while on international duty with Sweden.

The £125 million striker — signed from Newcastle United last summer in a record-breaking deal — scored a stunning solo effort in Sweden's 3-1 friendly defeat to Norway on Monday, yet his thoughts remained on events back at Anfield.

"I've kind of disconnected from Liverpool now that I'm here [with Sweden]," Isak said. "It's always sad when a coach has to leave."

Slot's tenure at Liverpool ended last weekend following a difficult second season, having guided the club to the Premier League title in his debut campaign. The Dutchman's second year was marred by inconsistency, with the club ultimately scraping into UEFA Champions League qualification.

Isak unsurprised by the change

Isak appeared to take Slot's exit in his stride, acknowledging that managerial departures are an unfortunate reality of football at the highest level.

"The manager is usually the first position to change when things go badly," he said. "As I said, I don't know much about what has happened or will happen. I wish him all the best."

The Swedish international endured a frustrating debut season at Anfield, suffering a broken leg against Tottenham Hotspur in December that kept him sidelined until early April. He managed just four goals — a steep drop from the 27 he registered for Newcastle United in 2024/25. His shots per game also fell sharply, from 2.9 at Newcastle to just 1.2 at Liverpool.

A pivotal role ahead

Liverpool underwent considerable squad investment ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, bringing in Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz alongside Isak for a combined outlay exceeding £300 million. The trio largely struggled to hit their stride during the season.

With Mohamed Salah having departed the club, Liverpool will lean heavily on Isak to lead the attack in 2026/27 — whether under reported managerial target Andoni Iraola or another successor. After a season disrupted by injury, Isak will be hungry to repay the faith shown in him with the record fee Liverpool paid to bring him to Merseyside.