Liverpool has already enjoyed a very exciting summer.
But even though Florian Wirtz can play as a No. 9, it's likely that a departure for Darwin Nunez would trigger a move for a replacement forward, with Viktor Gyokeres the latest name mentioned.
Right now, only Arne Slot and a handful of others know exactly what the plan is for how to use Wirtz, but it makes sense that he is arriving at least in part to replace the creativity lost when Trent Alexander-Arnold left the club. That could well see him play in an advanced midfield role, leaving Liverpool with a continued striker conundrum.
While Luis Diaz played through the middle to reasonably good effect last season, Liverpool's dedicated options misfired. Diogo Jota barely contributed more than Nunez, leaving Mohamed Salah to pick up most of the slack from the right.
Clearly, this problem did not prove terminal. Liverpool strolled to the Premier League title.
Yet while it certainly makes sense to temper any criticisms of last season's side, given what it managed to achieve, it also makes sense to constantly strive for improvements. The arrival of Wirtz was a major statement in that regard, and Liverpool is seemingly not finished.
Further incomings will probably now rest on outgoings, if only from a squad management point of view — Slot already had a hard time sharing the minutes among all of his talented players last season. But it could be a busy summer of departures.
Caoimhin Kelleher has already gone, while the announcement of Jarell Quansah's move to Bayer Leverkusen appears imminent. Harvey Elliott is at a crossroads, especially after the arrival of Wirtz, and there have been constant murmurings about Jota and Diaz.
But crucially, erstwhile club record signing Nunez now appears to be nearing the exit door. Napoli is taking a keen interest, with Liverpool holding out for around $58 million.
That would net Liverpool some book profit, after three years of amortizing the initial Nunez outlay. It would also represent some pretty good real-terms damage limitation, recouping around half of the initial outlay.
Darwin Nunez could leave Liverpool this summer
Darwin Nunez could leave Liverpool this summer (Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Such an outcome would embolden Slot to head back into the transfer market. The club is no doubt already making preparations for that eventuality, and contact has now apparently been made over a deal for Gyokeres.
According to Portuguese outlet Correio de Manha, the Sporting striker is on a shortlist of Nunez replacements at Anfield. In the past few days, Liverpool has got in touch to ascertain a price.
It is not the only interested party. Gyokeres has also attracted admiring glances from Manchester United and Arsenal.
And that should come as no surprise. The Swede scored 39 times in 33 league games last season, off the back of 29 goals in the campaign prior.
Sporting, for its part, is therefore well within its rights to have set an asking price of $93 million (£68 million). If anything, it seems a little lower than expected.
Yet Liverpool has been enticed by a striker from the Portuguese league before. That journey looks set to end with Nunez moving to Napoli for half his original price after three tough years.
And while it may not be fair to Gyokeres, fans might be hoping this latest "contact" is akin to the talks that Slot held with Rayan Cherki earlier in the summer. It makes perfect sense to have contingency plans, but that interest was dropped at once when a deal for the number one target (Wirtz) materialized.
Who might be the equivalent number one target at center-forward? It's impossible not to wonder whether it is Alexander Isak.
A compatriot of Gyokeres, he is unique in that he has proven his brilliance carries over to the Premier League. That would be reflected in an astronomical price tag, but the rumors will simply not go away.
But Isak or Gyokeres would surely be an upgrade on Nunez, giving Slot even more weapons for the new campaign. Liverpool looks to be giving itself every chance of holding on to its newly-won title, with the most ruthlessly efficient transfer window seen at Anfield in many years.