At times this season, Liverpool’s direction has been difficult to decipher. The club splashed over £400 million last summer, yet instead of building on a title-winning campaign, the squad appears to be in a significant transition period.
The departures of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez, combined with the tragic passing of Diogo Jota, left Liverpool without a recognized striker. Hugo Ekitike and later Alexander Isak were brought in to fill that void, but both have endured severe injury problems during their debut seasons at Anfield. With Ekitike now likely sidelined for the rest of 2026, Liverpool’s attack looks like a priority area to address this summer.
Given that the current strike partnership cost close to £200 million, the idea of signing a third forward this summer would have seemed unlikely a few months ago. However, the injuries to both Isak and Ekitike have altered Liverpool’s plans, and a new striker is now on the summer agenda. According to a report from Football Insider, the club is actively looking to add another option to strengthen Arne Slot’s attacking options.
Isak has struggled to settle at the club even when fit, and as things stand, he will be Slot’s only recognized striker heading into next season. Adding support will help the Sweden international adapt and allow Slot to get the best out of his £125 million investment. The report claims Liverpool are ready to ‘accelerate’ their summer plans as they close in on Champions League qualification, with a forward high on sporting director Richard Hughes’ priority list.
Cody Gakpo was deployed as a makeshift center forward against Chelsea on Saturday, but it’s clear the Dutchman is not a viable long-term solution through the middle. Several potential targets have been linked with moves to Merseyside since Ekitike suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, and Hughes and his team will be assessing the market to find the right player.
