Should Liverpool fail to entice Isak away from St. James' Park, they may turn their attention to Ekitike, with Newcastle already in talks with Eintracht Frankfurt regarding the French striker. However, Isak and Ekitike aren't the only forwards linked with Liverpool.
Viktor Gyokeres, who is reportedly close to signing for Arsenal, and Victor Osimhen have also piqued the club's interest. Current Chelsea striker Jackson has also been identified as a potential target, having impressed Hughes during the chief's time at Bournemouth. That doesn't necessarily mean Liverpool will pursue the Senegal international, however.
But with Chelsea having already secured the services of Joao Pedro and Liam Delap this summer, Jackson's future at Stamford Bridge is far from certain, despite the Blues reportedly placing a £100m price tag on him.
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Hughes had a strong interest in Jackson, nearly securing his signature for Bournemouth when the striker was at Villarreal. The Cherries had agreed on a £20.3million fee in January 2023.
The talented forward seemed destined for Southampton until Hughes stepped in. It looked like a done deal, with footage surfacing of Jackson boarding a private jet to the UK to finalise talks.
But a hamstring injury detected during his medical led Bournemouth to pull out of the deal, unwilling to wait for his recovery during their fight against relegation.
Jackson returned to action in March and immediately hit the ground running, scoring 10 goals in his last 11 games of the season for Villarreal. This impressive form caught Chelsea's attention, resulting in a £32m move to Stamford Bridge in June 2023.
Cherries owner Bill Foley has admitted that not completing the Jackson transfer was an error. He remarked: "We tried to get him back this year, we had him last year and I believe we made a mistake. He didn't pass his medical but actually he played much sooner than we thought he would."
At Chelsea, Jackson has scored 30 goals in 81 appearances, playing a key role in their Club World Cup and Europa Conference League successes. Yet, with the recent signings of Pedro and Delap, his future at the club seems uncertain, possibly opening the door for a new chapter.