Liverpool within the race to signal £60m “powerhouse”

Image this: It is January 2024, and Liverpool‘s collective consciousness is reeling from the information that Jurgen Klopp has supplied by the membership’s social media channels.

It got here out of nowhere. After practically 9 years of thrilling service as Liverpool supervisor, Klopp introduced he was lastly sapped of his energy, that larger-than-life engine depleted finally.

It felt like the tip of an period, and it was, however in Arne Slot, Liverpool discovered a brand new chief to information them again to the forefront of English soccer, successful the Premier League solely 11 months after his predecessor bowed out with a third-place end and a Carabao Cup claimed a number of months earlier than.

To assume that that triumph was achieved with such little first-team funding, Federico Chiesa being the one arrival (earlier than this summer season) since Ryan Gravenberch joined in August 2023.

Now, although, the contemporary faces are spilling by the gates, with a brand new centre-forward maybe subsequent on the agenda. There are many targets on the market, however Alexander Isak is the dream.

Liverpool’s pursuit of Alexander Isak

Liverpool have a long-standing curiosity in Isak, and he is thought-about Slot’s dream goal this summer season, however Newcastle United are in no temper to promote after qualifying for the Champions League and have set an asking worth of £200m.

The 25-year-old is certainly an excellent participant, even hailed as “the perfect striker within the Premier League” final season by Jamie Carragher, however he’d price an excessive amount of cash for a Liverpool facet already approaching the £200m mark this summer season.

Mohamed Salah was the one man to outscore Isak within the Premier League final season, however does 23 targets from 34 matches warrant a £200m price?

Liverpool want a quantity 9, in any case, and given the plentiful spending FSG have green-lit this summer season, there could also be a shrewder choice available on the market who would nonetheless carry the promise of targets.

Liverpool line up Isak different

In keeping with switch insider Graeme Bailey, Liverpool are doing intensive work on varied striker targets this summer season as they appear to improve on Nunez.

And whereas Isak stays the dream goal, Liverpool proceed to maintain their identify within the hat for Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres, who is anticipated to go away the Liga Portugal champions this summer season.

Saying that, tensions are excessive between participant and membership, with Arsenal additionally eager on the Sweden striker however dissuaded by his €100m (£84m) launch clause, which Sporting hope can be met.

Nevertheless, it will not. As an alternative, a determine within the area of £60m may show the final word cost, which is definitely an reasonably priced determine for Liverpool to cap their summer season spending off with a flourish.

Why Liverpool ought to signal Viktor Gyokeres

Liverpool is likely to be dreaming of Isak, however they will maybe signal his worldwide teammate Gyokeres to a equally emphatic impact.

Having joined Sporting Lisbon from Coventry Metropolis within the English Championship two years in the past, the 27-year-old has arguably been “the perfect finisher on this planet” – within the phrases of analyst Spencer Mossman – scoring 97 targets and offering 28 assists throughout 102 matches and successful the league title in every of his two campaigns.

And but, the highly effective goalscorer has his dissenters, those that really feel his qualities wouldn’t translate so properly to the English recreation. This merely is not the case; he isn’t Isak, however the right-footer may definitely play an vital half on the entrance of Slot’s system.

Gyokeres’ doubters should flip towards his hat-trick efficiency in opposition to Manchester Metropolis within the Champions League final 12 months earlier than making an opinion on his means.

It is a centre-forward who is aware of how you can discover the again of the online, and has a strong physicality and electrical mobility that emphasises his high quality as extra than simply a focus within the closing third.

As per FBref, Gyokeres ranked among the many high 12% of strikers within the 2024/24 Champions League for targets scored, the highest 18% for cross completion, the highest 10% for shot-creating actions, and the highest 6% for progressive carries per 90, highlighting the person’s tactical wideness.

A carry is taken into account progressive if the ball is moved in the direction of the opponent’s objective not less than 10 yards from its start line or is carried into the penalty space.

The information-driven web site even regarded Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Vinicius Junior as his three most comparable gamers, which presents a style of the type of flavour he may add to Slot’s assault.

These are all high-level goalscorers and dynamic forwards moreover. True, the attacker has been hailed as a “powerhouse” by analyst Ben Mattinson, however the journalist is not denouncing him as a brute; reasonably, highlighting a bodily sheen to his ability set that may be good for Premier League soccer.

Such robustness has allowed him to foster that unimaginable goalscoring document, with no footballer – together with Salah and Isak – scoring extra targets throughout the sport’s high ten divisions in 2024/25, which speaks to how ruthless he’s in entrance of objective.

It is clear that Gyokeres has the potential to play on the entrance of a Liverpool facet consisting of a few of soccer’s most fun attacking gamers, as illustrated by his distinctive goalscoring document within the desk above.

Whereas he isn’t on the identical stage as his Swedish compatriot, there is no cause Gyokeres could not match Nunez’s 25-goal tally within the Premier League. After all, that is throughout three campaigns, whereas Sporting’s man would have his sights set on reaching the goal earlier than the tip of subsequent season.

Image this: Liverpool have accomplished probably the most extraordinary summer season switch window, wish to defend their Premier League title, and develop on Slot’s preliminary success. With Gyokeres fronting the crew, it’d simply occur.