By all accounts, Liverpool are in the market to sign a new striker this summer, an upgrade on Darwin Nunez to put it bluntly.
Arne Slot won the Premier League in his first season at Liverpool but he did so without any of the club’s strikers scoring 10 league goals.
Diogo Jota bagged six in 25 appearances and Nunez scored five times in 28 games, many of which were as a substitute.
Luis Diaz did contribute 13 goals to add to Mohamed Salah’s colossus 28 strikes, some of which will have come from a central position as a false nine.
However, it’s clearly an area of Slot’s squad that can be improved, hence why Liverpool want to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle United.
But signing Isak will not be easy by any means this summer, and clubs like Liverpool and Arsenal are already being forced to look at alternatives.
Liverpool are reluctant to pay Hugo Ekitike’s asking price
In terms of those who Liverpool might sign instead of Isak, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike is thought to be high on Richard Hughes’ list.
Ekitike’s data has impressed Liverpool, a 22-year-old who chose to leave Paris Saint-Germain last summer in search of regular first team football.
Liverpool have scouted Ekitike extensively alongside some of Europe’s other elite clubs, and it seems as if the striker could well be on the move this summer.
However, GiveMeSport are now reporting that Liverpool might be deterred by Ekitike’s lofty price tag.
The Frenchman has scored 22 goals this season and Eintracht want £84m for the striker, who has also contributed 11 assists.
But Liverpool are said to have ‘major reservations’ about that valuation, even if they do plan to keep monitoring his performances before the end of the season.
Arne Slot should focus on Victor Osimhen
Of course, it does have to be said that £84m is a tall price to pay for a striker who’s only one season into his Bundesliga career.
Ekitike thrived for Stade Reims before joining PSG, but his career stalled somewhat after arriving in the French capital.
And whilst the 22-year-old is showing a ton of potential right now, he’s not a striker who’s at the level of Isak or Erling Haaland, who both moved to the Premier League for a lot less.
In truth, the striker market isn’t full of elite options this summer, which is an interesting turn of events considering how many top clubs need to sign one.
Liverpool are interested in Victor Osimhen too, and he might actually be the best option available over the coming months.
