Forged your thoughts again to August 2022, with Liverpool seeing off rivals Manchester Metropolis within the marketing campaign curtain-raiser to assert the Neighborhood Defend, with club-record signing Darwin Nunez scoring a late clincher to mark his arrival into English soccer.
The Reds could properly have gained the battle that day, though it was their opponents who in the end gained the conflict, with Nunez’s centre-forward foe, Erling Haaland, shaking off that preliminary disappointment to turn out to be a pressure to be reckoned with within the Premier League.
Since each males arrived at their respective golf equipment that summer season, Haaland has netted 121 objectives in simply 142 video games for the Residents, 85 of which have are available in solely 97 top-flight outings.
As these on Merseyside are totally conscious, their Uruguayan quantity 9 has barely come near reaching such heights, having to date plundered solely 40 objectives in 143 video games in all competitions.
With Haaland within the image or not, a return of 25 objectives in 95 league video games merely is not as much as scratch for Liverpool’s centre-forward, with it no shock that the 25-year-old seems to be destined for a summer season exit. The one situation is, simply who will change him?
Newest on Liverpool’s seek for a striker
Arne Slot‘s aspect stormed to the title with out the necessity for an orthodox striker, however whether or not that may be a long-term resolution stays to be seen, with a dream goal nonetheless within the equation within the type of Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak.
There was tentative discuss that a bid is even being readied for the Magpies talisman, albeit with Eddie Howe’s males having claimed Champions League soccer forward of subsequent time period, prising the Swede from St James’ Park can be greater than an uphill job.
With that in thoughts, different choices are nonetheless being thought of, with GIVEMESPORT reporting that FSG are holding inner talks over whether or not to maneuver for Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, with Liverpool stated to be ‘turning their consideration in direction of recruiting a confirmed goalscorer’.
The Nigerian’s identify has come up throughout in-house recruitment conferences, albeit with there stated to be an acknowledgement that the 26-year-old is prone to find yourself again at Galatasaray, having spent 2024/25 on mortgage in Turkey.
Osimhen’s £400k-per-week wage calls for had beforehand seemed to be a stumbling block too, though the piece outlines that he could think about reducing that determine, having already turned down a profitable £625k-per-week supply from Saudi aspect, Al Hilal.
The assumption is that the Lille man is eager to remain put in European soccer, amid rival curiosity from the likes of Manchester United, making certain the door has opened barely for FSG to pounce.
How Osimhen compares to Alexander Isak
Isak is – and rightly so – the determine that the majority of Europe’s elite golf equipment would want to signal if handed the chance, having been hailed because the “greatest striker within the Premier League” by nationwide staff boss, Jon Dahl Tomasson.
With 44 league objectives throughout his final two seasons at Newcastle, the ex-Actual Sociedad star is a Premier League-proven expertise, little question about it, having given a raft of top-flight defenders a torrid time of issues.
That stated, there may be an argument to be made that regardless of having but to strive his hand in English soccer, Osimhen would truly signify an improve on Isak, having additionally been dubbed the “greatest striker in the marketplace” by Statman Dave.
Certainly, 2024/25 ended with Osimhen eclipsing his centre-forward counterpart’s goalscoring document, with the in-demand sensation scoring 37 instances throughout his stint in Istanbul, 26 of which got here within the Tremendous Lig.
Isak, in the meantime, scored ‘simply’ 27 objectives in all competitions again on Tyneside, with that together with 23 league objectives.
Prime scoring ST’s – Europe’s prime ten leagues |
|
---|---|
Participant |
Targets |
Viktor Gyokeres |
39 |
Kylian Mbappe |
31 |
Robert Lewandowski |
27 |
Harry Kane |
26 |
Victor Osimhen |
26 |
Mateo Retegui |
25 |
Alexander Isak |
23 |
Omar Marmoush |
22 |
Erling Haaland |
22 |
Equally too, whereas each loved an identical document with regard to their inventive prowess, having each created 11 ‘huge probabilities’ in league motion, it’s Osimhen who seems to be the extra dominant, bodily focus.
That’s evidenced by the truth that he gained 55% of his whole duels and 60% of his aerial duels, as per Sofascore, whereas Isak, by comparability, averaged simply 33% for each of these metrics within the Premier League.
Stretching again additional than 2024/25 too, Osimhen has additionally been extra prolific in entrance of purpose throughout his senior profession to date, having netted 151 objectives in simply 264 membership profession video games, throughout his time in Italy, Turkey, France, Belgium and Germany.
Isak, by comparability, has scored simply 134 objectives in 301 senior video games throughout his spells in England, Spain, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands, with that showcasing that it’s Osimhen who’s the better scientific risk.
On the Champions League entrance too, the latter man has netted 9 instances from 17 video games within the competitors thus far, whereas Isak has scored solely as soon as in six outings in his profession to date.
Sure, the Newcastle star has been a revelation for the Magpies, but Osimhen has been a goalscoring monster at virtually each membership he has been, excluding a goalless, 16-game spell at Wolfsburg.
Whereas the key caveat stays whether or not the Napoli man can repeat these heroics within the Premier League, all of the indicators level to him being the subsequent centre-forward to tear it up in England’s prime tier.
Whisper it quietly, however he may even be higher than Isak…

Associated
A much bigger mistake than Diaz: Liverpool now in talks to promote £50m star
Liverpool ought to assume twice about parting methods with this proficient first-teamer.