Three Strikers that Liverpool Should Replace Struggling Darwin Nunez With | Opinion

Three Strikers that Liverpool Should Replace Struggling Darwin Nunez With | Opinion

From Sporting Lisbon superstar to Newcastle’s best player, here are the three players I think Liverpool should be looking at replacing Darwin Nunez with.

Liverpool v Bayer Leverkusen Champions League 05/11/2024.

Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez (9) on the bench during the Champions League match between Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen

When Darwin Nunez joined Anfield in 2022 he was sold to the fans as the long-term heir to Roberto Firmino at Anfield.

Unfortunately, the Uruguayan striker has not lived up to those expectations and with each passing day, the €85million that they paid Benfica for Nunez is looking like a worse and worse deal.

Nobody can question the 25-year-olds tenacity and work rate, however, he was brought in to score goals and simply put, he isn’t doing that.

So far this season the former Benfica striker has only scored three goals in 18 games for Arne Slot’s side. Unfortunately, that is not the output you can rely on from your number nine, especially when you are challenging for the Premier League title and Champions League.

In today’s article, I am going to look at three players Liverpool could look at signing next summer to replace the Uruguayan striker at Anfield.

1. Viktor Gyökeres (Sporting CP)

Viktor Gyökeres is one of the most in-form strikers in world football currently. The Sporting Lisbon striker is on fire this campaign, already scoring 25 goals for the Portuguese outfit.

Due to his performances for Sporting, many top clubs have started to take notice and he has been linked to the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United and Arsenal in recent weeks.

Gyökeres seems like a complete striker and on paper, he would be perfect under Slot. He can drop deep to pick up the ball but he is also fast enough and has the intelligence to make smart runs in behind.

Viktor Gyokeres is wanted by all of Europe’s top clubs this summer

Despite there being many positives, there are a few cons if he were to join Liverpool, the main one, in my opinion, is something Nunez has suffered from.

The Portuguese League and Premier League are so different. The intensity in England compared to Liga Portugal catches many players off guard and they are unable to reproduce the numbers they did in Portugal once they move to England.

Another stumbling block would be the transfer fee. It has been reported that Sporting are looking for around £70million to let him leave next summer and with Gyokres being 26-years-old, it seems unlikely that Michael Edwards would sanction a move for him.

Who knows though, maybe Edwards and Richard Hughes could overlook that if they think he will reproduce his current numbers in the Premier League.

2. Omar Marmoush (Eintracht Frankfurt)

This is a transfer that could come to fruition if reports are to be believed and what a signing it would be if Liverpool could pull it off.

Omar Marmoush has arguably been the best forward in world football this season, alongside his countryman Mohamed Salah, and the Reds have seemingly taken notice.

The 25-year-old is having a breakout season for Frankfurt, scoring 17 goals and providing 13 assists in 21 games.

Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush

The Egyptian has mainly been playing as a striker this campaign, however, he can also comfortably play on both wings, something we know Liverpool love when signing forwards.

Marmoush is the perfect age and profile that the Reds like to sign and if his countryman, Mo Salah, extends at Anfield he could be under the tutelage of one of Liverpool’s greatest players to help him settle in to life on Merseyside.

This signing makes so much sense on so many levels and I would be surprised if Hughes doesn’t pursue it next summer. At the reported fee of €50million, it could be an absolute bargain too.

3. Alexander Isak (Newcastle United)

Now for more of a dreaming option. Since joining Newcastle for €70million from Real Sociedad, Alexander Isak has continuously been one of the best strikers in the Premier League.

His balling striking ability and intelligence is on par with the likes of Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah, making him a perfect signing for a top club.

The 25-year-old is also quietl having another impressive season with the Magpies, scoring six goals and providing three assists in 13 Premier League games, so far.

Aleksander Isak, Newcastle United

Isak also proved his worth against Liverpool recently where he scored a stunning goal and also provided an assist to Anthony Gordon, helping Newcastle to a 3-3 draw against Slot’s side.

Even though Eddie Howe’s side are very good, for me, Isak is destined for a top team who are constantly competing in the Champions League.

Whilst I don’t think it will be Liverpool, it would be very nice to target someone who is Premier League-proven and can score goals against the best teams in the world.

However, one of the main downsides about Isak is his fitness. Since arriving on Tyneside the Swedish striker has missed 38 games due to injuries. When you consider that his price tag will most likely be around £70million, it would be hard to justify it going off his injury record alone.

Liverpool could sign none of these players or they could show interest in them all. Only time will tell, but one thing is for certain, if Nunez doesn’t improve quickly then he could be one of the next Liverpool players to depart Anfield.