Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey believes his old club need to change their approach in attack and Newcastle United's Alexander Isak is the ideal answer
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Alexander Isak of Newcastle United
Alexander Isak of Newcastle United(Image: Shaun Brooks - CameraSport via Getty Images)
Liverpool rattled home a whopping 123 goals in all competitions last season. But a further drill into the figures highlights exactly why the Reds' big summer evolution may still have one more significant new arrival to come.
With £29million Jeremie Frimpong on board, club record £116m Florian Wirtz on his way and £45m-rated Milos Kerkez to follow, Liverpool are already on course for their highest-ever transfer window spend.
A new number nine, though, appears an increasing certainty, even if it may require some market jiggery-pokery from Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes and the recruitment team for the move to be realised.
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Just 17 goals were scored last term by a player starting in a central striking role for Liverpool, and one of those - Dominik Szoboszlai's effort in the 2-0 win at Manchester City in February - was from a player ostensibly not operating there at all.
It's telling the highest individual total of eight was scored by Luis Diaz, who isn't a centre forward by trade. Darwin Nunez contributed five and Diogo Jota three, although both made an impact with important goals as a substitute.
Some of that shortfall can be explained by the tactics employed by Arne Slot last term, with a reliance on getting wide players into scoring positions. In total, 24 goals were netted by starters on the left flank - 17 for Cody Gakpo, seven for Diaz - while on the right flank only one of Mohamed Salah's 34 goals came from the bench.
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But there is obvious scope for improvement. Both Nunez and Federico Chiesa are being strongly linked with moves away from Liverpool - reports in Italy suggest Napoli are keen on both, while AC Milan and the Saudi Pro League are also courting Nunez - and their sales would help generate extra funds for a pursuit of a big-money striker.
Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike is one of the most sought-after such players on the Continent right now, but Newcastle United's Alexander Isak is the prime target for many.
And while it won't be easy, former Reds forward Emile Heskey has explained why his old club would benefit greatly from a swoop for the Sweden international.
“Liverpool definitely need a striker this summer, there is no doubt in my mind," says Heskey. "They have four forwards in Gakpo, Jota, Diaz and Nunez who have barely scored 30 goals between them in the league, and Salah got 29 on his own.
"Liverpool need to sign a striker who can contribute regularly and work hard for the team.
“Liverpool have had a lot of brilliant and iconic number nines over the years, you think of Fernando Torres, Luis Suarez, Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen.
"I’m not saying they need someone of that calibre, but just someone who can help Salah. The stereotypical number nine is probably leaving the game a little bit, but there are plenty of forwards out there who can score goals.
“I think a lot of the options they have at the moment are great off the bench, but they need the real deal.
"Alexander Isak would be the dream signing as he has absolutely everything in his game from the link-up to energy and plenty of goals, but I think that transfer is unlikely to happen unless Newcastle have to sell him.”
Speaking to the ECHO on behalf of VBET, Heskey adds: "I expect Liverpool’s number nine to be getting 20 to 25 goals a season, but this is impossible with the form Salah has been in. However, I think strikers in a title-winning team should be scoring a minimum of 15 goals.
“You can see at other Premier League teams forwards have easily notched 15-plus goals in less creative sides, such as Chris Wood at Nottingham Forest and Yoane Wissa at Brentford.
"It is possible for forwards to contribute while Salah is doing the heavy lifting, and if Liverpool’s current strikers can’t chip in, they will look to bring in players who can.”
Barely half of the 25 players who reached double figures in the Premier League last season were recognised centre forwards - although five of the top seven were - and Heskey, who scored 60 goals in 223 appearances during a Liverpool career in which he won the the UEFA Cup, FA Cup, two League Cups and the UEFA Super Cup. has lamented the recent trend that has moved away from a traditional number nine.
“It’s sad to see, as I played in a day when every team had three or four top-quality strikers in the squad, all playing for two places up front," he said. "But Premier League teams now barely have one good striker.
"In England, we are teaching this out of the game. Every academy team across the country, no matter the formation they play, only ever have one player up front. Therefore we are now seeing the lack of great striking options coming through academies or even for teams to buy.
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“Everybody wants to be a winger. But not a stereotypical winger like Thierry Henry or Cristiano Ronaldo, who just wanted to beat defenders and get the ball in the box. They all dream of cutting in and scoring a worldie, so the game has changed.
"This in turn is starving strikers of chances, so it’s even more impressive when you see Erling Haaland or Wood scoring a lot of goals in a season because the service isn’t consistent for old school number nines anymore.”