Liverpool manager Arne Slot is reported to have decided to sign one of either Julian Alvarez or Alexander Isak to elevate his strikeforce to new levels – though the Argentine will not come cheap and Jamie Carragher has indicated a deal for two new attackers may be required this summer.
The Reds have enjoyed an excellent season so far and looked certain to win the Premier League given their huge 12-point advantage over Arsenal at the top with just nine games to go. However, any hopes Liverpool had of winning more than one trophy in Arne Slot’s debut campaign have gone up in smoke after they were eliminated on penalties to PSG in the Champions League and then suffered a demoralising 2-1 defeat to Newcastle in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final.
As a result, it has become painfully obvious that Slot’s decision to barely add to his Liverpool squad in the two transfer windows he has so far overseen has ultimately come back to bite them hard as the season has gone on. Federico Chiesa did arrive, though has barely featured amid injuries and a lack of match sharpness.
However, with our transfer correspondent Fraser Fletcher revealing last month that the Reds are gearing up for what has been branded a ‘historic window’ this summer and with a sizeable kitty at Slot’s disposal, it is in the attacking positions that the Reds are now expected to be most active.
With Newcastle striker Isak already identified as a target and with Fabrizio Romano explaining why significant interest is expected in the Swede, reports this weekend have also identified Atletico Madrid striker Alvarez – who boasts 28 goals and assists so far this season – as another concrete target.
And while Newcastle are likely to demand a fee well in excess of the British transfer record for Isak – figures of around £130m-plus are accurate, sources have informed us – any hopes of landing Alvarez on the cheap have also been emphatically dismissed.
Now, according to Anfield Watch, it will take a fee over £100m to convince Atletico Madrid to sell – with a deal for either striker comfortably shattering the Reds’ transfer record which currently sits at the £85m package ultimately paid to Benfica for Darwin Nunez.
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Carragher urges Liverpool to sign two attackers this summer
While Liverpool are understood to currently see Isak as a better fit for their system, the Reds are reported to have been made Alvarez their second option to replace Nunez – who multiple sources, including Romano and James Pearce confirm will be sold – in their attack.
Interest in the former Man City striker actually dates back to the Jurgen Klopp era when the German and technical director Julian Ward identified him as a potential target while the 42-cap Argentina international was making his name with River Plate.
And while deals for neither attacking option will come cheap, the report suggests a potential swap deal cannot be ruled out with Atletico, amid claims the Reds could offer Luis Diaz to Diego Simeone in exchange for Alvarez.
Nunez too has also been linked with a move to the Wanda Metropolitano, though their chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin firmly rejected those links when questioned earlier this month.
“A move for Darwin Nunez? We are not looking for a striker; our team needs reinforcements in other positions, which is what the Atletico Madrid management is currently discussing,” Marin told the Spanish media.
“Nunez is not part of the club’s transfer plans for the upcoming period and the reports about our interest in the player are completely baseless.”
Brighton’s Joao Pedro and Liam Delap of Ipswich have also been mentioned as possible Liverpool targets this summer.
Liverpool also have doubts over Diogo Jota heading into the summer window – the Portuguese was largely anonymous at Wembley on Sunday – while the ongoing contract saga around Mo Salah could yet result in a replacement for the Egyptian superstar being required.
Regardless of what happens with Salah, Carragher is urging the Reds to snap up two attackers this summer to reboot their tired-looking forward line.
“I think what this last week has done is probably shone a light on where Liverpool still need to improve in,” Carragher said on Sky Sports.
“I think the lack of pace in the team is glaring in the attack. I almost feel a little bit sorry for Mo Salah, because he’s taken a bit of criticism after the two Paris Saint-Germain games because he was up against possibly the best left-back in the world in Mendes who was fantastic. He didn’t do too much, he wasn’t great today.
“But he doesn’t get help off the other attackers. This is not like it was under Jurgen Klopp where Mane could bail Liverpool out of trouble or Firmino.
“The other attackers Liverpool have got are good players. They’re not great players.
“They’ve relied on him so far, so I don’t want to see too much criticism for Mo Salah over this last week.
“What it’s shone a light on is that Liverpool need to go and buy two attackers, not as squad players, possibly to play alongside Mo Salah hopefully for next season.”
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Meanwhile, Gary Neville believes Liverpool’s chances of Carabao Cup final success were completely undermined by manager Arne Slot after the Sky Sports commentator and Man Utd legend delivered a brutal assessment of the Dutchman’s management of the Reds at Wembley.
On the transfer front, it’s now reported that Liverpool are ‘all set’ to beat Newcastle and Tottenham in the race to sign Marc Guehi, with the player’s preferred destination identified and as a Crystal Palace exit looms.
The England man could replace Ibrahima Konate, whose deal at Anfield expires in summer 2026 and, with a potential sale on the cards this summer, Real Madrid and now a new Premier League suitor has learned his asking price.
IN-FOCUS: How Liverpool targets Isak and Alvarez compare this season
Alvarez v Isak this season: Appeareances 44 v 33 Goals 23 v 23 Assists 5 v 5 Minutes per goal 127 v 114 Expected goals 11.2 v 15.6 Shot-creating actions 96 v 75 Successful take-ons 66 v 35