Liverpool are going to sign a striker this summer\u2026surely. Will they be shrewd about it, or get all giddy like they did with Florian Wirtz?<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve ranked ten of Arne Slot\u2019s reported striker targets \u2014 including four from the Premier League.<\/p>\n
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10) Alexander Isak (Newcastle)<\/strong> \u00a0<\/p>\n 9) Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth)<\/strong> Liverpool interest in the Bournemouth star seems fairly low-key at the moment. Had Mohamed Salah not signed a new contract, their pursuit might have been much more serious, with Semenyo seen as a versatile and talented option who could fill multiple roles across the front line.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 8) Ademola Lookman (Atalanta)<\/strong> There have been rumours of a potential swap deal involving Federico Chiesa<\/strong><\/a>, with Lookman also (obviously) linked to Manchester United.<\/p>\n It\u2019d be smart business for both clubs: Atalanta would get a Serie A-proven attacker as a ready-made replacement, while Liverpool would land one of Europe\u2019s most dangerous forwards. Chiesa has barely featured for the Reds, wants to return to Italy<\/strong><\/a>, and likely will this summer. For once, it all makes sense.<\/p>\n Lookman managed just 11 goals and six assists in 96 Premier League appearances, but he\u2019s not that player anymore. He now boasts 60 goal involvements in 93 Serie A games \u2013 a frankly absurd return. Having scored a hat-trick in a European final, the 27-year-old has blossomed into a complete forward, capable of playing left, right or centrally. He\u2019ll surely fancy another crack in England and Liverpool would be mad to overlook him.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 7) Hugo Ekitike (Eintracht Frankfurt)<\/strong> In 2024\/25, the 22-year-old Frenchman scored 22 goals and registered 12 assists in 48 games across all competitions. Beyond the numbers, he impressed with his all-round play and a frightening mix of height, power and technique. For someone his size, he really shouldn\u2019t be that quick and slick.<\/p>\n There\u2019s plenty of interest<\/strong><\/a>, but his colossal valuation being met this summer feels wildly unrealistic.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 6) Jonathan David (Lille)<\/strong> His goal record speaks for itself: 109 goals in 232 games for Lille. It\u2019s genuinely baffling he\u2019s stayed there this long, and even more so that clubs aren\u2019t queueing up now he\u2019s available for nothing.<\/p>\n He\u2019s been linked with a Premier League move for what feels like forever, but even at just 25, it almost feels like that ship has sailed. David probably thinks a club like West Ham is beneath him \u2013 and to be fair, he does deserve Champions League football. And after splashing a club-record fee on Wirtz<\/strong><\/a>, the idea of a proven goalscorer for free could turn John Henry\u2019s pupils into dollar signs.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 5) Yoane Wissa (Brentford)<\/strong> Arsenal have been mentioned, while Nottingham Forest reportedly tried to sign him in January<\/strong><\/a>. The Forest link feels more realistic \u2013 and ambitious too, with European football returning to the City Ground.<\/p>\n Liverpool need a striker, but they\u2019re not completely desperate, which gives them the freedom to consider someone a little less flashy. Wissa fits that bill: experienced and clinical.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 4) Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig)<\/strong> Also like Ekitike, he\u2019s 22, shining in the Bundesliga, and seen as a signing for both the present and the future.<\/p>\n Arsenal reportedly view him as their top striker target ahead of Viktor Gyokeres<\/strong><\/a>, but if Liverpool move decisively, Arne Slot has every chance of winning the race for his highly sought-after signature.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 3) Joao Pedro (Brighton)<\/strong> The Brazilian is another versatile attacker, capable of playing across the front three or in the No.10 role. Ten goals in 27 Premier League appearances isn\u2019t spectacular, but it\u2019s a decent return for someone drifting in and out of a mid-table side.<\/p>\n That number might dip if he\u2019s no longer on penalties with Salah still around, but there\u2019s clear potential for growth with a title contender side.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 2) Victor Osimhen (Napoli)<\/strong> We say race as if that fairly reflects the global level of interest in him. Al Hilal tried and failed, and Galatasaray are reportedly keen to keep him permanently after an incredible season on loan. Other than that? Radio silence.<\/p>\n Every time I write about Osimhen, I end up asking the same question: why? Why the hell does no-one want him? Well, apart from clubs he clearly doesn\u2019t want to join. He\u2019s an elite goalscorer and a world-class centre-forward. What\u2019s not to like? Attitude, maybe? Wages? Honestly, I don\u2019t know him personally, so couldn\u2019t possibly comment.<\/p>\n Napoli are supposedly asking for \u00a363m \u2013 which seems like a decent deal, all things considered. And if desperation creeps in, that fee could dip a little. After already splashing \u00a3125m on Wirtz, what\u2019s another \u00a350m for a proven No.9 \u2013 their first in a long time?<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 1) Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting)<\/strong> The Swedish striker offers a blend of relentless pressing, intelligent movement and physical presence \u2013 a profile that closely mirrors Santiago Gimenez, the most prolific No.9 Arne Slot has worked with. The Mexican scored 49 goals and provided 13 assists in 85 games under Slot at Feyenoord, and Gyokeres is cut from the same cloth, but a level above.<\/p>\n This would be a statement signing. And a smart one. And one that would upset Man United fans. And Arsenal<\/strong><\/a> fans. We\u2019re sold.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s obviously the best fit, but at \u00a3150m, there\u2019s virtually no chance Liverpool<\/strong><\/a> make a move this summer. If the Wirtz deal somehow collapses, you never know\u2026but even then, it\u2019s hard to see Newcastle entertaining the idea. A dream signing \u2013 but nothing more than that<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n
Semenyo isn\u2019t your typical out-and-out No.9, but is he a better option up front than Darwin Nunez? God yes. And we\u2019re fairly confident he could develop into a pretty darn good striker.<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t go well for Lookman in the Premier League during spells at Everton, Fulham and Leicester, but he\u2019s a different player now \u2013 and so, so much better.<\/p>\n
The finances involved are likely to stop Ekitike from leaving Frankfurt this summer. You can understand the reluctance to spend over \u00a380million on someone who flopped at PSG. But it\u2019s also easy to ignore that spell after the season he\u2019s just had.<\/p>\n
From an extortionate transfer fee to no transfer fee at all \u2013\u00a0David is the best free agent on the market<\/strong><\/a>. But he\u2019s reportedly doing his best to price himself out of a move with some hefty salary demands. That could mean this saga drags on into late August.<\/p>\n
There haven\u2019t been many concrete links between Wissa and Liverpool, but with Thomas Frank off to Spurs, the DR Congo international might fancy a big move. At 28, and with 19 Premier League goals this season<\/strong><\/a>, it does feel like a case of now or never.<\/p>\n
Like Ekitike, the fee is colossal \u2013 but so is the potential. Leipzig are open to selling, and with no Champions League football on offer, Sesko wants the move. Still, the Slovenian won\u2019t come cheap, no matter how keen both parties are to get a deal done.<\/p>\n
According to Ben Jacobs, the Brighton man is one of four strikers being \u2018assessed internally\u2019 by Liverpool<\/strong><\/a>. A summer move looks likely after a few difficult months on the south coast \u2013 and to be fair, the Reds could do a lot worse.<\/p>\n
A \u2018private meeting\u2019 has definitely taken place \u2013\u00a0because GiveMeSport says so<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\u2013 which means Liverpool are definitely in the race for Osimhen\u2019s signature.<\/p>\n
The headlines have focused on Arsenal and Manchester United<\/strong><\/a>, but we think Gyokeres would be a near-perfect fit for Slotball.<\/p>\n