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Darwin Nunez contributed five and Diogo Jota three, although both made an impact with important goals as a substitute.

Some of that shortfall can be explained by the tactics employed by Arne Slot last term, with a reliance on getting wide players into scoring positions.

"They have four forwards in Gakpo, Jota, Diaz and Nunez who have barely scored 30 goals between them in the league, and Salah got 29 on his own.

"Liverpool need to sign a striker who can contribute regularly and work hard for the team.

“Liverpool have had a lot of brilliant and iconic number nines over the years, you think of Fernando Torres, Luis Suarez, Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen.

"I’m not saying they need someone of that calibre, but just someone who can help Salah.

The stereotypical number nine is probably leaving the game a little bit, but there are plenty of forwards out there who can score goals.

“I think a lot of the options they have at the moment are great off the bench, but they need the real deal.

"Alexander Isak would be the dream signing as he has absolutely everything in his game from the link-up to energy and plenty of goals, but I think that transfer is unlikely to happen unless Newcastle have to sell him.”

Speaking to the ECHO on behalf of VBET, Heskey adds: "I expect Liverpool’s number nine to be getting 20 to 25 goals a season, but this is impossible with the form Salah has been in.

However, I think strikers in a title-winning team should be scoring a minimum of 15 goals.

“You can see at other Premier League teams forwards have easily notched 15-plus goals in less creative sides, such as Chris Wood at Nottingham Forest and Yoane Wissa at Brentford.

"It is possible for forwards to contribute while Salah is doing the heavy lifting, and if Liverpool’s current strikers can’t chip in, they will look to bring in players who can.”

Barely half of the 25 players who reached double figures in the Premier League last season were recognised centre forwards - although five of the top seven were - and Heskey, who scored 60 goals in 223 appearances during a Liverpool career in which he won the the UEFA Cup, FA Cup, two League Cups and the UEFA Super Cup.

"But Premier League teams now barely have one good striker.

"In England, we are teaching this out of the game.

They all dream of cutting in and scoring a worldie, so the game has changed.

"This in turn is starving strikers of chances, so it’s even more impressive when you see Erling Haaland or Wood scoring a lot of goals in a season because the service isn’t consistent for old school number nines anymore.”


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