When Liverpool smashed not just their own transfer record but the Premier League's transfer record to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m, many associated with the Anfield club would be forgiven for thinking that was it.
Marc Guehi has been touted with a move around the £40m mark but another colossal spend was surely out of the question, right? Think again.
Anyone fancy Alexander Isak? Of course, you do. Every club in European football would love to see the Newcastle striker leading the line for them.
Alexander-Isak-Carabao-Cup-trophy
The trouble is, he's rather unattainable. Every player has their price, but it feels unlikely Liverpool will make a bid of £150m, the fee the Magpies could be looking for if they are to enter negotiations.
That being said, reports have indicated in the last 24 hours that the Reds are reportedly willing to put £130m on the table. Talk about making a statement to your rivals.
Alexander Isak 2024-25 season in numbers (timeless)
Yet, with that deal looking incredibly difficult to do, they have turned their attention to Hugo Ekitike.
The latest on the Hugo Ekitike situation
On Monday, Newcastle burst into life, making Ekitike their number one target and thus beginning work on a move. That was according to David Ornstein of The Athletic.
It has since been reported by Fabrizio Romano that the Toon have lodged an official bid to sign the Eintracht Frankfurt forward. Sadly for Newcastle, that was rejected. Frankfurt want more for their French superstar.
Ekitike has attracted the interest of plenty this summer, namely Manchester United and Chelsea. Yet, Liverpool are now at the table.
Romano reports that if they cannot prise Isak away from St James' Park, then they will make a play for the Bundesliga superstar instead.
It's a remarkable ultimatum on the face of it. Give us Isak or we'll poach your leading transfer target instead. It's older brother behaviour from one of Europe's elite clubs. Who can blame them, either?
It's a situation that could become quite messy, hence why Liverpool are looking at further alternatives to bolster their forward line.
Liverpool's Isak and Ekitike alternatives
According to the Daily Mail, FSG and Co have a number of strikers on their radar this summer, including the likes of Ollie Watkins and Victor Osimhen.
One of the more standout names is Brentford striker Yoane Wissa. Also a target for Tottenham Hotspur this summer, the report notes that Liverpool have been in talks with several centre-forwards, one of which is the Bees sensation.
yoane-wissa-premier-league-brentford
The Reds are weighing up their options, alright, and could have to pay around £50m or even more to prise him away from London.
How Yoane Wissa compares to Hugo Ekitike
This summer we are likely to see Darwin Nunez depart Anfield on a permanent basis.
Once a club-record signing, it simply hasn't happened for the Uruguayan in Liverpool colours, chiefly in 2024/25 when he scored just seven goals in 47 outings.
Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez
He's a bundle of chaotic energy. Sometimes it's good, but for the most part, it's a negative trait. Few forwards in Europe's top leagues miss as many big chances as him.
During 2023/24, Nunez missed 27 big chances in the Premier League, only second to Erling Haaland. On that basis, you may not think it's a particularly negative stat. The trouble is, while Haaland missed plenty of chances, he was also burying them at regular intervals, notching 27 league goals that year. Nunez could only manage 11.
So, if Liverpool are to go out and buy a striker to replace Nunez this summer, they need a safe and proven pair of hands. Isak, of course, is the dream buy, but in Wissa, they'd sign a similar player, someone who's already been there and done it in the English top-flight.
Ekitike has his positives, of course he does. He's got rangy strides and plays in a similar manner to Isak, cutting inside and burying opportunities. You don't score 22 goals as a 22-year-old in the Bundesliga without being a good player.
Wissa vs Ekitike: 2024/25 League
Stat (* = per game)
Goals
Expected goals (xG)
Big chances missed
Assists
Shots off target *
Shots on target *
Conversion rate
Scoring frequency
Stats via Sofascore.
That said, much like Nunez, he's still raw. You sense he needs a year or two learning from another frontman should he join a big club.
Wissa, however, is 28. He's in his prime, he knows his game perfectly, and as a Premier League-proven forward, would surely hit the ground running right away. In the words of former Brentford boss Thomas Frank, he's "unbelievable."
Wissa season in numbers 2024-25 (timeless)
The DR Congo international scored 20 goals in 39 matches in all competitions last term, the best campaign of his career to date and he's improving at a rapid rate. He's ready for a big move, he's ready to take centre stage at one of the grandest clubs in Europe, notably scoring more regularly than Ekitike last term and registering a higher conversion rate.
If you still aren't convinced, then perhaps data-led website, FBRef, can help you out. According to the numbers, Isak was the sixth-most similar striker in the Premier League to Wissa last season. The most comparable was Kai Havertz.
What that tells us is that Wissa doesn't just possess the carrying ability of someone like Isak, but he's also strong in the duel. Let's put it this way: his game feels more refined than Ekitike's at this moment in time.
The French youngster would not be a bad signing but if Liverpool desire someone a little less chaotic, someone less raw than Nunez, Wissa is your man. He'd also be a great deal cheaper. What's not to like?
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