Victor Osimhen of Galatasaray celebrates victory during the Turkish Super League match between Galatasaray and Kayserispor
Victor Osimhen of Galatasaray celebrates victory during the Turkish Super League match between Galatasaray and Kayserispor
Liverpool have moved quickly to address a number of key positions in their squad as they look to strengthen Arne Slot’s ranks after lifting the Premier League title. Jeremie Frimpong was swiftly bought in a £29.5m deal from Bayer Leverkusen as a replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Having agreed a £29m deal with Valencia 12 months in advance for Giorgi Mamardashvili last summer, the Reds ensured they had already signed a new goalkeeper to free up Caoimhin Kelleher to leave for Brentford.
Meanwhile, while Liverpool are strengthening at number 10 but negotiating a club-record deal with Leverkusen for Florian Wirtz, they are also looking to bring in Milos Kerkez from AFC Bournemouth as a long-term replacement for Andy Robertson.
But it appears supporters will have to wait a little while longer for the Reds to move for players in other positions, despite having long been expected to move for a new centre-forward.
Darwin Nunez is expected to leave the club this summer, while Federico Chiesa has admitted he is open to a return to Italy. Luis Diaz has also confirmed he is in talks with other clubs after Barcelona had an approach rejected by Liverpool.
Diogo Jota’s future is also uncertain, while Cody Gakpo has attracted interest from Bayern Munich.
So while the Reds are anticipated to add to their attacking ranks, it is understandable why such a pursuit might have to wait until there is also movement on the outgoing front as club bosses assess their options.
Liverpool are not the only club in the market for a new centre-forward this summer, with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United also in similar pursuit. So too are Chelsea, though they have already signed Liam Delap from Ipswich Town in a £30m deal.
Unsurprisingly, the clubs in the striker market - which is already looking to be a difficult one - continue to be linked with the same small pool of elite centre-forwards. Namely Alexander Isak, Victor Gyokeres, Benjamin Sesko, Julian Alvarez, Victor Osimhen and Hugo Ekitike.
Isak or Alvarez would perhaps be the ‘dream’ signing but both players also appear to be the least obtainable as things stand.
It remains unclear which forward Liverpool will move for if and when the time comes, yet the speculation continues.
German media report that the Reds are in the race to sign Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt, while TBR Football has claimed that Liverpool have held talks with Osimhen’s camp over a potential move.
The Nigerian, who spent this season on loan at Galatasaray, is set to leave Napoli this summer and reportedly has a £63m release clause.
He has rejected interest from Al-Hilal in order to pursue a move in Europe, and both TBR Football and reports in Italy suggest he wants to complete a ‘dream move to the Premier League.
On paper, there is logic in a Liverpool pursuit for Osimhen. He is only 26 and has proven himself to be one of Europe’s deadliest finishers in recent seasons. Since the start of the 2018/19 season, he has scored 151 goals from 248 appearances in Belgium, France, Italy and Turkey with Charleroi, Lille, Napoli and Galatasaray.
Sixty-five of those goals came from 108 appearances in Serie A, with Italy historically a notoriously strong league defensively. And he has helped fire both Napoli and Galatasaray to league titles in each of the last two seasons.
A £63m release clause is affordable and Osimhen’s availability certainly makes him an intriguing opportunity for whichever club lands his signature.
Throw in Reds sporting director Richard Hughes’ well-documented strong Italian connections and it is easy to see why Liverpool are being touted as potential suitors.
After all, it was only last year when Hughes took advantage of a similar opportunity in Italy to land Chiesa from Juventus for a paltry initial fee of just £10m.
But just because there is logic in the Reds moving for the Nigerian striker, that does not make any transfer a sure thing. Far from it.
Perhaps the plight of Chiesa should act as a red flag against such a pursuit on this occasion. While the forward is regarded as one of Italy’s most gifted players, he ultimately struggled to make an impact during his first season at Anfield.
Although he would finish the season as a Premier League champion, Chiesa made only 14 appearances for Liverpool and started just four times.
With six of his outings coming in the English top-flight, he had to wait until the penultimate game of the campaign - long after the league was won - to make his full Premier League debut.
Having been linked with a swift exit for the majority of the season, Chiesa’s recent admission that he would be open to a return to Italy makes an Anfield departure seem likely.
Of course, just because Chiesa has not made the desired impact for the Reds does not mean Osimhen would not either. And the fact that Napoli have long been linked with a move for Liverpool's number 14 would also open the door to potential transfer talks.
The Reds' swoop for Frimpong led to them holding talks with Leverkusen for Wirtz, for example. And two years ago, negotiations regarding Fabio Carvalho's loan move to RB Leipzig helped open the door for Dominik Szoboszlai to move the other way.
But something else for potential suitors to consider is that Osimhen is set to represent Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations this January.
Liverpool will already lose Mohamed Salah to the tournament, with it possible that the forward could miss up to 10 matches. The same would apply to Osimhen if he were to be Anfield-bound.
Considering the Reds will be hoping that whichever striker they settle on can help lessen the scoring load on Salah, it would inevitably be a blow to lose their two leading marksmen for a prolonged period if they did end up pursuing the Nigerian centre-forward.
For the record, the ECHO has already reportedthat our understanding is Liverpool's focus lies elsewhere at the minute and there are no plans in place to move for Osimhen at present.
Of course, that does not necessarily rule out a swoop for the 26-year-old later in the summer. But for now, the Reds’ search for any striker remains in the background.
Liverpool will continue to be linked with new centre-forwards in the weeks ahead, in a market that is already shaping up to be a dominant topic across the summer transfer window.
But with a number of clubs conducting their own search and a number of strikers set to move on as a result, all Reds supporters can do is wait for Liverpool to make their move and all the pieces to fall into place. Whether Osimhen is still in the conversation when the time comes, only time will tell.