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With Hugo Ekitiké set to miss the rest of 2026, Liverpool need to sign a forward who can fill in - but is Anthony Gordon really the answer?
The Achilles tendon injury which is expected to sideline Hugo Ekitiké for the rest of 2026 represents more than just a dent in Liverpool’s hopes of securing Champions League football for next season – it also creates a colossal headache for the summer transfer window.
A replacement of some kind is clearly a necessity, but signing a first-rate striker would only create an overwhelming logjam up front once Ekitiké eventually returns. Signing another central striker would mean that Arne Slot (or whoever takes his place should Liverpool move on from the Dutchman) would have to work out how to keep Ekitiké, his replacement and Alexander Isak happy all at the same time come the new year – and even beyond that balancing act, there are only so many resources that can be dedicated to a single position.
The recent rumours linking Liverpool with a move for Anthony Gordon this summer seem to present a viable solution. The Newcastle and England winger has, after all, operated as a stand-in striker on a number of occasions and could conceivably fill in when required, while moving back to the left wing after Ekitiké returns. But is Gordon really Liverpool’s best bet this summer, especially when the club has to worry about replacing Mohamed Salah at the same time?
Is Anthony Gordon the best solution for Liverpool’s attacking problems – or is a better option out there?
A number of recent stories (including one from TEAMtalk, among many others) suggest that Liverpool continue to hold interest in Gordon, a player they have tried and failed to sign in the past – but they aren’t the only team interested in the 25-year-old, with Bayern Munich and Arsenal both strongly linked with a bid.
That doesn’t mean that Liverpool won’t be able to engineer a move for Gordon, but it does suggest that it would be extremely expensive even if they did beat the competition out. Gordon is under contract until 2030 and while Newcastle are expected to look to make some sales to keep the cash flowing without Champions League football, they won’t have their arm twisted easily. A deal could easily move in the direction of £100m.
Newcastle may also be loathe to sell to Liverpool after last summer’s tortuous transfer battle over Isak, even if they could outbid teams like Arsenal and Bayern. In short, Liverpool will need a Plan B even if they do determine that Gordon would be the best bet for them. Whether that’s the case is open to interpretation, too.
Liverpool want to strengthen on the left wing after Cody Gakpo’s form tailed off as he struggled to take up Luis Díaz’s mantle when the Colombian left for Munich in 2025, and Gordon fits that part of the bill nicely enough – but if the Reds are also looking for a forward who can fill in for Ekitiké for the first half of next season, then there are reasons to question Gordon’s suitability.
For all the former Everton man’s qualities, he is not a natural goalscorer. Despite being given opportunities in a more attacking role this season, he has managed just six Premier League goals from an xG of 8.83. The season before, he scored six from 8.03xG. He is neither a winger who scores regularly nor efficiently.
Nor is his total contribution of seven league assists over the last two seasons especially exciting. He can stretch defences with his pace and has the energy and dynamism to create a threat for the full 90 minutes, but his end product has been lacking in relative terms since the 2023/24 campaign. If he did cost £100m or so, there is little evidence that he would pay that back through goal contributions alone, and his ability to play up front remains relatively notional. He is not a true striker, just a sufficiently competent stand-in for a side which plays direct enough football to make use of his work in behind opposing defences.
If Liverpool were looking solely for a left winger to challenge Gakpo for his place, then Gordon would be an able (if expensive) option that was worth due consideration. But they also need a right winger to replace Salah as well as an Ekitiké proxy, and there could be a better, cheaper option available on the right flank who would present a better dual threat in the final third: West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen.
Why Liverpool should be in the bidding for Jarrod Bowen this summer
If West Ham get relegated at the end of the season, the departure of Bowen seems like an inevitability – but even if they stay afloat, it’s easy to imagine the 29-year-old deciding that he wants to spend the remainder of his prime years away from the London Stadium. Regardless of the Hammers’ eventual league position, Bowen could easily be on the market.
If there’s even a sniff that he could be available, he makes an immense amount of sense as a Liverpool target, even if they have tended towards targeting younger players in recent years. This is, after all, a player who could take up Salah’s mantle down the right while offering sufficient versatility and firepower in the final third to suggest that he could step into Ekitiké’s shoes as required, too.
Bowen has consistently scored more frequently and more reliably than Gordon in recent seasons – even amid West Ham’s struggles, he has scored eight times from an xG of 6.55, and that’s his worst rate of return for some time. In both the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons, he hit double figures when expected to hit single digits.
He is a fine finisher, better than Gordon, with a better final pass which has netted him eight assists in each of the last two campaigns. He lacks some of Gordon’s top-end pace and penetration, but has a far more well-rounded game and is better out of possession as well, forcing many more turnovers. And when it all comes down to it, nothing matters more than sheer production. Bowen has the edge there.
Liverpool have been linked with Bowen in the past, albeit not in the last couple of seasons when there seemed to be little realistic prospect of Bowen leaving West Ham. A move is far more feasible this summer, however, even if he – like Bowen – is contacted for another four years.
He would also be less expensive. Although not necessarily a remarkably reliable source, Hammers News claims that he could leave for around £50m in the event of West Ham’s relegation. Even if they remain in the Premier League, he would surely cost less than Gordon, who could well fetch twice that.
Going for Gordon wouldn’t necessarily be a crazy idea, but would be a wildly expensive gamble in a summer in which Liverpool need to sign multiple players in key positions. Bowen may have fewer good years ahead of him, but would be cheaper, allowing Liverpool to spend more elsewhere – and would surely score and create goals more reliably. With Salah leaving and Ekitiké out for the long haul, it’s hard to look past the sense of a deal for Bowen.
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