Darwin Nunez is a Premier League champion. But it still looks as though his time at Liverpool might be coming to a conclusion, albeit with a fairly happy ending — and one former Reds striker has suggested a replacement.
The harsh reality is that Nunez played a peripheral role in delivering the title to Anfield. Generally, Arne Slot has favored an out-of-position Luis Diaz through the middle, while Diogo Jota has often got the nod over the Uruguayan as well.
That’s not to say Nunez has played no part. Liverpool chose to reject Saudi overtures in January, and the potential record signing responded with a game-winning brace against Brentford, delivering three points at a vital juncture in the season.
When he is handed a medal on the final day, he will have earned it. But with a new number nine set to be a summer priority, the writing is on the wall.
The focus will soon turn to the identity of that new striker. Naturally, the dream transfer target is Alexander Isak.
But even amid whispers of a record transfer budget for Slot to spend, it’s not clear whether Liverpool would be able to secure that signing. Newcastle looks destined for the Champions League, and it won’t be under any pressure to sell its star player.
At the very least, Liverpool will need to consider alternative options. Richard Hughes has no doubt already drawn up a long list of candidates.
One wildcard to have been mentioned is Harry Kane. Last month, Markus Babbel tipped Liverpool to engineer the striker’s sensational return to the Premier League.
But Emile Heskey disagrees. He has claimed that Kane would not fit the profile for which Liverpool is looking.
“Harry Kane is a goal scorer, an out-and-out goal scorer,” Heskey said. “Wherever he goes, if he leaves Bayern Munich, he will score goals.
“But he isn’t the right striker signing for Liverpool this summer, his age is the problem for me, not his ability, so I imagine Liverpool will go in a different direction. I couldn’t see him fitting in at Liverpool in this Slot style of play.”
(Image: Harry Langer/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
Stylistically, Kane would surely be able to adapt. But the concern about his age is a valid one.
Turning 32 in the summer, the England captain is still delivering at the highest level. But it’s hard to know how much longer that will be the case — and unlike with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, there have been persistent warning signs in terms of injuries.
And even if he could stay fit, while Kane undoubtedly has the footballing brain to fit into Slot’s style, how long would his body allow him to do so? Although the intensity might be slightly reduced from the Jurgen Klopp days, Liverpool is still among the league’s most high-octane sides.
With all this in mind, Heskey suggested an alternative. And it’s probably quite surprising he hasn’t been mentioned more often.
“Any club at the top of the table would benefit from signing Ollie Watkins,” assessed Heskey. “I think he would absolutely suit Liverpool as he gets himself into great positions to score, and he’s a keen runner in behind.
“He recognizes when to make runs, which is why he gets so many chances, and his link-up play is pretty good.
“Ollie needs to be loved. He needs to be the number one striker, and I think if Liverpool signed him, he would be number one and a fantastic signing. Sometimes players need that little bit of love from their manager, and if you give Ollie that, he’ll be a fantastic asset to any team.”
(Image: Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)
Watkins has been somewhat overlooked as an option. But Heskey is right that he would bring a lot of good attributes to this Liverpool side.
There’s a worry that he is almost a little too much like Nunez — great at getting the chances, but not always the best at putting them away. But Watkins’ expected goals underperformance is far less pronounced than that of the incumbent Liverpool striker, and it seems a reasonable bet that he would bag a hatful of goals at Anfield with the level of service he would be receiving.
At 29, age concerns are less pronounced than with Kane, although Watkins would still be something of a “win now” signing. Hughes and Slot may decide together that they wish to take a longer-term outlook.
Meanwhile, Arsenal is also thought to be keen, which could provide a further complication in any transfer pursuit. Mikel Arteta might still be rueing the decision not to push harder in January.
But Heskey was certainly right to throw the name out there. Watkins is too often ignored among the league’s top strikers, despite spearheading Aston Villa’s remarkable rise of recent seasons — he has earned the right to feature in the conversation, and Liverpool could do worse than to consider him.
