Liverpool will be on the market for a new striker this summer.
The Reds have had a tremendous season in the Premier League. They were crowned the champions with four games to spare, which is an outstanding achievement.
Arne Slot is a happy man, but work will be going on behind the scenes to improve Liverpool even more in the upcoming summer transfer window.
All eyes will be on who Slot will bring in this summer. Robbie Fowler has a suggestion for the Dutchman.
Robbie Fowler tells Liverpool to sign Ollie Watkins
Ollie Watkins has been one of the most consistent performers in the Premier League in recent years.
The Englishman is Aston Villa’s main man in attack more often than not, and he has scored some big goals for them under Unai Emery.
Watkins has netted 16 goals and provided 13 assists in all competitions this season, and he definitely has what it takes to play for a bigger club.
Liverpool’s top target is Alexander Isak, but the Sweden international will cost a lot of money this summer. Newcastle United may not even sell him if they qualify for the Champions League.
That will complicate things for the Reds, but Fowler, who knows a thing or two about scoring goals, has recommended Watkins to his old club.
He said in a seminar at the PFA’s London HQ, as quoted by iNews: “The problem is clubs know that they are potentially on the lookout for a number nine, so the prices will become silly.
“If you look at [Alexander] Isak, he’s going to be £100 million plus easily. He’s a wonderful player, but Liverpool may not want to pay that, and they’ll look around.
“You could look at Ollie Watkins. He doesn’t really fit the model in terms of what Liverpool want, given his age, but I’d go and get him for a couple of years because he’s a tremendous player and established and experienced in the Premier League.”
Ollie Watkins vs Alexander Isak stats compared since 2022/23
Alexander Isak joined Newcastle United in the summer of 2023 and has been a key player for them since.
The Sweden international is hailed by many as the best striker in the Premier League. Some even think Isak is better than Erling Haaland.
But, how do his numbers fare against Watkins since the start of the 2022/23 season?
| Games | Goals | Assists | Minutes per goal or assist | |
| Ollie Watkins since 2022/23 | 144 | 59 | 34 | 117.74 |
| Alexander Isak since 2022/23 | 106 | 61 | 11 | 107.04 |
As the final column above shows, Isak is clearly the better striker, but Watkins is not far off either.
The Englishman, if his age isn’t too big of an issue for Liverpool, wouldn’t be a bad option at all, especially as he would cost less than half as much as Isak.
But, signing Watkins for significant money goes against the Reds’ transfer policy – he is 29 already, which means his resale value is not great.
