Liverpool are acting like a team whose wish is not just to defend their Premier League crown next season, but to compete for and clinch silverware in the Champions League and the domestic tournamental trophies.
Standing on the precipice of devolution last summer (or so it seemed), Liverpool held their tongue amid the transfer din and let their rivals dart this way and that as they pieced together teams capable of competing for the biggest prizes.
With Jurgen Klopp leaving after coming a day late and a dollar short in the 2023/24 title race, the Reds were largely forgotten, condemned by public opinion to a season of scrambling to retain their recovered seat back among Europe’s elite.
But Klopp made sure Anfield knew the name Arne Slot before he left, and the Dutch coach returned the call 11 months on, having tied red ribbons onto the league trophy.
Liverpool might not have made much noise in last year’s transfer market, and indeed weren’t considered a threat for the top spot by many, but things have changed and now the Merseysiders are looking to consolidate their position at the summit, with so many waiting for them to fall.
There’s a lot going on, but FSG have yet to move for a new striker, and they need to do exactly that.
Liverpool need a new striker
With Darwin Nunez expected to leave this summer, Liverpool have been expected for several months to sign a new number nine.
Sadly, that won’t be Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak. The Athletic’s David Ornstein has claimed there’s “no chance” he leaves St. James’ Park after clinching Champions League football, with PIF sure to demand north of £150m for their star man.
With Isak looking like a no-go, Liverpool have instead shifted their attention over to Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike in recent weeks, but the French forward, 22, currently looks to be leaning toward a move to Chelsea.
Ekitike is dynamic and layered in his approach, though perhaps not far enough into his development to justify the £84m payment Frankfurt want.
Ekitike’s good and all, but would Liverpool be getting bang for their buck? It’s uncertain. However, there’s a far greater chance a deal for one of Europe’s established powerhouses would provide Slot with the goals he craves.
Liverpool open talks for new striker
They say money talks, but the riches of Saudi Arabia appear to have fallen on deaf ears in Victor Osimhen’s case. The Napoli forward has rejected a staggering £25m-per-year salary to move to Al-Hilal, instead choosing to remain in Europe.
With a €75m (£63m) release clause in his contract, transfer insider Graeme Bailey believes conversations with Liverpool officials last month might have played a part in the Nigerian striker’s decision, with a move to the Premier League his preference.
Previous reports claim Osimhen, 26, has been on Liverpool’s radar for a while, and given that other options appear financially unviable, Liverpool may want to launch their move in the coming weeks.
Why Liverpool want Victor Osimhen
It’s been a long time since Liverpool had a consistent and reliable focal frontman, one who could rival any across the game.
Bobby Firmino was indisputably world-class, but not really a goalscorer in the strictest sense; Daniel Sturridge on his day could throw down with the best of them, but getting him into the ring and out of the infirmary proved a different battle altogether.
What Liverpool need is their new version of Luis Suarez, the Uruguayan legend turning the Premier League into his playground during his time on Merseyside. Steven Gerrard actually called the “world-class talent” the best that he had played with.
And in Osimhen, Slot could unearth exactly that guy. The deadly Napoli striker was out on loan with Galatasaray last season, winning trophies and scoring goals (37, in fact, across just 41 fixtures). For context, Isak scored 27 times in all competitions in 2024/25, while Ekitike netted 22 times for Frankfurt.
Osimhen might have endured a bitter divorce with his Naples parent club, but that only increases the chances of Liverpool enjoying a smooth negotiation process to bring him over to Anfield.
Once described as a “monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Osimhen was the cream of Napoli’s incredible Scudetto-winning 2022/23 campaign, defenders powerless to stop his powerful movements and thunderous striking.
Regarded by one talent scout to have some of the best pressing in the business, the £83k-per-week goalscorer wouldn’t just stand isolated as a target man under Slot’s wing.
Indeed, as per FBref, he ranked among the top 4% of strikers across applicable leagues last season for shot-creating actions, the top 18% for progressive carries, and the top 16% for ball recoveries per 90, emphasising his energy and tenacity in winning back possession and then making things happen.
A ball recovery is defined by the number of loose balls recovered by a player.
This was exactly the same with the veteran Suarez, whose unrelenting hunger for the ball built an invariably prolific career, deadly for so many clubs across Europe during his heyday.
Barcelona
283
195
113
Ajax
159
111
68
Liverpool
133
82
31
Atletico Madrid
83
34
6
Groningen
37
15
10
Barcelona actually wanted to replace Suarez with Osimhen back in 2019, but were tilting into financial ruin and ultimately opted against the move, instead signing Antoine Griezmann for £107m – a deal which worked out just great for La Blaugrana.
At his core, Osimhen is a deadly goalscorer, but he’s also so much more. Skilful, smooth and intelligent, he could certainly prove to be a striker as complete as Suarez was during his Anfield days.
Would there be an element of risk with signing a striker seemingly tagged with contention? Maybe, but then Suarez had a fiery streak too, and he did just fine on English shores.
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