Nunez, Jackson, Havertz (or Jesus) or Hojlund? Which striker would our writers pick?

Manchester City can call upon Erling Haaland. Nottingham Forest have Chris Wood. Newcastle United rely on a standout striker, Alexander Isak.

But among the other teams pushing for the title or the Champions League — or running far behind, in the case of Manchester United — centre-forwards have been an issue. Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United fans have all questioned their striking options.

The problem was highlighted again on Wednesday night when Darwin Nunez missed a gilt-edged opportunity to win the game for Liverpool against Aston Villa, which ended 2-2.

Injuries and patchy form at Arsenal mean they have been looking at different strikers for the summer.

But would our writers stick or twist when given the option of Nicolas Jackson, Nunez, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus or Rasmus Hojlund? Would any of them swapping teams improve the other club? The Athletic asked our experts, with their answers below.

Chelsea writers, would you swap Jackson?

Simon Johnson: If Chelsea were ever in a position to trade Jackson for another Premier League centre-forward, then this is not the group of players they want to choose from. None of them can argue to be an upgrade on what Jackson is doing at Stamford Bridge, despite his recent goal drought.

Chelsea sold because they thought he was not good enough. Jesus is injury-prone. Hojlund has struggled at Manchester United, as has Darwin Nunez at Liverpool.

Dan Sheldon: If you had an endless pot of money, these strikers would not be leading the line at your club.

But of the four options available, I would stick with Jackson. Chelsea got rid of Havertz, Hojlund has mustered just two Premier League goals this season, and Nunez could have already wrapped up the title with the chances he has missed for Liverpool.

Jackson averages nearly a goal every other Premier League game (23 goals at a rate of one every 198 minutes) and has shown enough to keep him ahead of the others.

Liam Twomey: Jackson is not the problem at Chelsea. Even when not scoring, his pressing, movement, link-up play and chemistry with Cole Palmer make him valuable. Nunez is also an erratic finisher. Hojlund is a less polished footballer.

Havertz comes closer to offering what Jackson does outside the box, but Chelsea fans have seen that movie before.

Jackson has produced goals for Chelsea this season — but is in the middle of a drought (Michael Regan/Getty Images)

What about our Liverpool writers — would they swap Nunez?

Gregg Evans: Nunez has been missing big chances for three seasons. His time is almost up. Granted, the other options on offer aren’t particularly strong. Can we even consider Hojlund when Manchester United lie 15th? We might as well bring Everton striker Beto into the mix…

Liverpool will be hoping to bring in a plug-and-play replacement whenever Nunez is replaced. Still, out of the four, Jackson would be the most convenient swap, largely because he has scored a similar amount of Premier League goals (23) over fewer games (58). The record for Nunez — 24 goals in 86 games — just isn’t good enough for a Liverpool forward.

Andy Jones: Wednesday’s horror miss against Villa felt like the final straw for Liverpool supporters. What makes Nunez’s situation unique is the ongoing lack of high-quality No 9s. Neither Hojlund nor Jackson is an ideal swap candidate — although Jackson would score goals for Liverpool.

If I had to choose, it would be Havertz. With Diogo Jota as an alternative, Liverpool would not have to rely on Havertz to score in every game. He would be a helpful Mohamed Salah facilitator, and his work rate and technical ability would also allow him to be deployed in the No 10 role.

James Pearce: This is like asking which tooth you would like extracted. The least painful answer is none of them.

Yes, Nunez is erratic and patience is in increasingly short supply, but I wouldn’t swap him for Jackson, Havertz or Hojlund. The Uruguayan’s minutes per goal record in the Premier League this season (223mins) isn’t much different to Jackson’s (195mins) or Havertz’s (205mins). As for Hojlund (603mins), Liverpool would be better off bringing back Fabio Borini.

Liverpool are fortunate that they don’t rely on Nunez, with Arne Slot preferring to play with Jota or Luis Diaz through the middle. Nunez’s third season at Anfield is set to be his last but he’s just as likely to deliver as those other inconsistent strikers floundering elsewhere.

Would our Manchester United writers swap Rasmus Hojlund?

Mark Critchley: Jackson has had the best season of the four but I wouldn’t swap Hojlund. A goal every 188 minutes last term was not bad in a struggling side and United have been even worse this year.

He needs to move the ball out of his feet quicker and get more shots off. But he’s 22, he can improve, and did not choose his price tag.

Carl Anka: I would swap Hojlund for one of these strikers. While none has the ‘all-in-one’ attributes managers want from a modern centre-forward, Jackson is the closest to connecting the dots. Jackson has a solid first touch, can lead a press, and finish chances. His hold-up play is developing nicely.

If you gave me an ideal solution, though, Hojlund up front in a 4-4-2 with the Chelsea striker would work nicely for Manchester United.

And as for our Arsenal writers, would they swap Havertz or Jesus?

Art de Roche: Call me whatever you like, but I wouldn’t swap either Havertz or Jesus for the strikers listed. Havertz gave Arsenal a platform once he was moved up top and had already improved on his goal tally of last term (14) with 15 in all competitions this season before his hamstring injury.

Neither Havertz nor Jesus is perfect, but the Brazilian also showed signs of why he was such a transformative signing for Arsenal in 2022 before suffering his anterior cruciate ligament injury in January. His ability to roam across the pitch and carry the ball makes him a unique option.

Jesus and Havertz have had good moments this season — but Arsenal want a new striker (Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)

They are injured, which may make this answer seem weird, but for all their issues, I would trust them over Nunez, Jackson and Hojlund.

James McNicholas: Maybe absence makes the heart grow fonder, but it’s harsh to consider Havertz among this company. His 15 goals from 34 games (30 starts) for Arsenal this season is a very creditable record.

For a player who we’re continually told isn’t a ‘No 9’, Havertz sure does No 9 things, providing Arsenal with physicality, link play and a focal point. I wouldn’t swap him for anyone on this list, nor would Mikel Arteta — but I would certainly consider taking Jackson over Jesus.

(Top photos: Getty Images)