Arne Slot’s first season at Liverpool ended in domestic triumph that few predicted. 

Winning the Premier League in your debut campaign, while reshaping the team’s identity is no small feat. 

The Dutchman delivered clarity, tactical order and renewed belief to a post-Klopp era.



 

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But for all the excellence shown across the pitch, one area still demands attention and that’s a reliable centre-forward. 

Liverpool didn’t lack recognised number nines last season, with Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez given several opportunities to prove their worth, but over the course of the season, neither truly convinced. 

Jota’s sharp finishing came in bursts, too often interrupted by injury while Nunez remained a chaotic presence. 

Unpredictable, energetic but not reliably effective. 

Therefore, despite winning the league, the Reds go into the summer with a familiar dilemma. 

If they want to evolve into a serious force in both England and Europe, they need a solution up front, a statement striker who doesn’t just fill the position, but transforms it. 

NO FOCAL POINT 

Last season’s numbers don’t lie.

 

While Liverpool lifted the Premier League title, the goal output from the forward line told a more complicated story. 

There was no escaping the growing independence on Mohamed Salah, when at thirty-two, the Egyptian produced his greatest season for goal contributions in a Liverpool shirt so far. 

But beyond him, the drop off was alarming. 

Diogo Jota showed flashes of finishing but spent much of the campaign on the treatment table. 

Cody Gakpo concluded his season with a respectable, but not transformative return. 

Darwin Nunez continued to miss guilt-edge opportunities with an inability to take command of the number nine spot. 

Liverpool didn’t struggle to create chances, in fact they made plenty, but they also underperformed their expected goals in games where dominance deserved a more comfortable cushion. 

Without Mo Salah’s consistency, it’s fair to ask whether the title would have been theirs. 

EXPOSED IN EUROPE

Arne Slot and Liverpool cruised their way into the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League by topping the inaugural league phase, but their attacking frailties meant that they fell short at the first hurdle. 

Over two legs against eventual European champions, Paris Saint-Germain, the lack of clinical edge told. 

A striker who can take one chance from nothing, someone who can dominate the penalty area in matches where rhythm and control aren’t enough, is what Liverpool lacked. 

Salah has been that figure for so long, but he needs help. 

More than that, Slot needs a centre-forward who can lead the line with presence, patience and ruthlessness. 

The kind of player which makes the team truly dangerous, not just disciplined. 

RIVALS ARE PRIMED TO POUNCEDavid Rawcliffe/Propaganda.

The striker market is already in motion and Liverpool cannot afford to be passive.

Alexander Isak is understood to be the preferred choice internally, a player who fits the profile of a reliable focal point, but Newcastle are in a strong position and unlikely to entertain offers, unless presented with a mouth-watering bid. 

This has forced Liverpool to explore more realistic options.

Viktor Gyokeres, Julian Alvarez, Hugo Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko have all been linked in recent weeks. 

After a prolific season with Sporting CP, Gyokeres offers proven end product and a reliable presence. 

Now at Atletico Madrid, former Manchester City forward, Alvarez, is a potential candidate, but the large asking price would become a stumbling block.

Sesko, younger and more potential, is also attracting strong interest from Arsenal who are reportedly pushing hard for the player. 

Ekitike is being closely monitored, but Eintracht Frankfurt are holding out for a fee close to £90million, complicating any move for a buying club. 

Elsewhere, Manchester United have added Matheus Cunha to their ranks, but long-term questions remain over Rasmus Hojlund. 

As for Chelsea, they continue to splash the cash, having snapped up Liam Delap from relegated Ipswich Town. 

A signing with potential, but not one that solves their need for a reliable goal getter. 

The top-end of the market is moving, but slowly shrinking and for Liverpool, this will undoubtedly create pressure.

Waiting too long to move risks the options narrowing and prices rising. 

It is essential that Arne Slot gets his man, whoever that may be. 

THE FINAL PIECE OF THE PUZZLELiverpool FC via Getty Images.

This isn’t just about numbers on a spreadsheet, Slot has built his Liverpool team with purpose. 

A midfield that can dominate possession.

 

Full backs who now pick their moments rather than playing on instinct and a deeper, more intelligent press. 

But that structure still misses a reference point at the top, someone to tie it all together. 

A statement striker doesn’t just score, he anchors the team, defines the tempo and gives others freedom. 

He makes Mohamed Salah’s life a whole lot easier, while also reducing the burden on many others to stay consistent. 

The system is ready; the squad is strong.

All that’s missing is a centre-forward who can add the finishing touches to Liverpool’s attack. 

The lack of a dependable, high-output striker was a thread running throughout last season, one that didn’t unravel the success, but certainly hampered the opportunity for more silverware. 

Titles are no longer won by standing still and this summer, that would be Liverpool’s biggest risk of all. 

A need for a central figure to lead the line has never been more overdue.

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