Liverpool have learned the price for one of their main striker targets this summer. He's half of Alexander Isak's cost.
Liverpool want a striker this season, and that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who's been paying attention. The Reds have struggled all campaign long for a striker who 'fits'.
Liverpool transfer news today: Richard Hughes gets 'go ahead' to pull off 'well advanced' €60m deal
Neither Darwin Nunez nor Diogo Jota have been that player. Nunez just isn't reliable enough in front of goal, spurning chances regularly.
Jota is reliable in front of goal, but getting him on the pitch is an issue. Liverpool can't rely on him to actually play, and it makes it difficult to go into another season with him as the no.1 option there.
And so the Reds will move to sign a new striker this summer. It'll cost them an awful lot of money, too, especially as their main target is Alexander Isak.
Isak has been sensational for Newcastle United and he's already got 19 Premier League goals this season to go with the 21 he managed in 2023/24. The Swede seems perfectly suited for Arne Slot's team on top of the goals - physical presence who's happy to run with the ball and bring others into play.
But there's the same old problem: price. Isak would almost certainly cost around £150m. That's the figure touted the most, anyway.
It would double Liverpool's transfer record, which remains the £75m paid for Virgil van Dijk in 2018 (Nunez's fee was £64m and hasn't yet reached the £85m through add-ons). There might, however, be a cheaper alternative.
READ MORE: Is Alexander Isak not the one? Liverpool in talks for DIFFERENT Premier League striker
He's more of a gamble, then, but Liverpool may be willing to take that gamble in a summer where they're expected to do a lot of business. The tens of millions they'd save with Ekitike could go towards a centre-back or a left-back or a winger or a right-back...
You get the idea. Liverpool are changing things quite dramatically for a (surely) title-winning team. That isn't easy to do when you spend massively on one player.
READ MORE: Liverpool given ALL CLEAR to sign £75m star
We do still think Isak is 'the one' and who Liverpool will push hardest to sign. With Ekitike, though, they have a much cheaper alternative who may just tempt them.