Liverpool Still Needs A Striker To Round Off Summer Transfer Spree

Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak scores their side’s first goal of the game during the Premier League match at Anfield, Liverpool. Picture date: Monday January 1, 2024. (Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)

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Looking at the number of signings Liverpool FC has already made in the 2025 summer transfer window, suggesting they need yet more players seems unreasonable. However, the club is still noticeably short in some areas as the new season and the September 1 transfer deadline approach.

Liverpool has already spent over $300 million this summer, having signed Jeremie Frimpong for $39 million, Florian Wirtz for $134 million, Milos Kerkez for $54 million, and spent $94 million on its most recent big signing, Hugo Ekitike.

Including Giorgi Mamardashvili, whose $33 million transfer was confirmed last summer but didn’t arrive until this season, and the signing last week of 18-year-old center-back Giovanni Leoni for $35 million, the total outlay is getting close to $400 million.

Given the already substantial spend on incoming transfers, suggesting the club needs more, possibly sending its spending past the $500 million mark, seems absurd, almost greedy. However, for several reasons, this is not the case, and for Liverpool, signing more players is still a necessity.

The main areas of need going into what feels like a second phase of the transfer window are the central positions at either end of the field. The arrival of Leoni went some way to addressing the lack of depth in the center of defence, so now the obvious area of need is at center forward.

A lot has been said about Liverpool spending big on attackers this season, but the fact remains that it still only has one recognised senior striker on the roster.

Ekitike led the line in the Community Shield curtain raiser against Crystal Palace and in the season opener against Bournemouth, and is currently the only natural option in this position.

As Liverpool played its first league game of the season against Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday night, it paid emotional tributes to its forward Diogo Jota, who died tragically in a car crash this summer alongside his brother Andre Silva. The emotion following this tragic loss of life will forever be present at the club, and Jota’s No. 20 shirt has been retired.

The departures of Luis Díaz to Bayern Munich for $88 million and Darwin Núñez to Al-Hilal for $62 million left Liverpool light in the center-forward position, as both operated in the role at times last season.

Núñez, despite his occasional wastefulness in front of goal, was a very useful option in the position and brought great energy and dynamism to the team.

Cody Gakpo can play there, but prefers to operate from the left as he did against Bournemouth, so it is clear that Liverpool is still in need of a striker.

You would imagine that the club would not have let Núñez leave without having a plan to sign a replacement.

The most obvious possible addition remains Alexander Isak. The rumoured transfer of the Swede from Newcastle to Liverpool has turned into a full-blown saga, but a deal could still very much be on the cards as the window draws to a close.

It would likely cost Liverpool around $165 million, but even if it were the final bit of business this summer, it would make its squad the envy of any club.

Though that deal would take the spending well over half a million, Liverpool does have money in the bank. The club is in a good financial position on the back of impressive commercial performance, a league title, and a new kit deal with Adidas that kicked in this season. Add to this the fact that the club spent little to no money on transfers in the previous season, plus the considerable income from sales this summer, and it becomes clear that there is plenty of financial wiggle room.

While winning the title despite having made no notable new signings appeared unusual, and something of a breath of fresh air in a world of soccer where transfers are seen as the be-all and end-all to success, it made sense that an already highly talented established group would improve with a little fine-tuning and coaching. This season, the team needed to take steps to bolster its roster.

This summer’s transfer activity could be seen as just as unusual as last year’s for Liverpool, but at the opposite end of the scale. Under the ownership of Fenway Sports Group, it has not been known for the kind of lavish spending seen by the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea in recent years, but at the same time, the ownership group is not averse to spending in the right moments. This is one of those moments.

It appears that Liverpool needs one more signing to complete its business this summer. It has looked for a while like that signing would be Isak, but this club always has a back-up plan when it comes to recruitment, so all eyes will be on Arne Slot’s side as it looks to conclude its flurry of activity in this 2025 transfer window.