3 months ago
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Liverpool's 2025 summer transfer window could end up going down as one of the most remarkable in Premier League history.
The Reds have already signed Florian Wirtz for what could rise to a British-record fee, while two more exciting additions have been made on either side of the pitch, with the arrivals of Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez.
Liverpool has committed around $250 million to those deals — with the majority of that sum going on Wirtz — but another big signing is in the offing.
Arne Slot is in the market for a new striker, with Darwin Nunez likely to leave before the window closes, while the squad is already a player light in that position following the tragic death of Diogo Jota earlier this month.
The sporting consequences of Jota's death are irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, but Liverpool must prepare for the new season in the best way possible, and acquiring a new striker is clearly central to doing that.
Whoever Liverpool signs will likely cost more than $100 million — it's just a case of how much more: Hugo Ekitike would likely keep the Reds' spend on a new striker around the $100 million mark, while Alexander Isak would probably cost at least $160 million.
It sounds as though the Reds are in a financial position to stretch that far, but it is not clear whether Newcastle would be willing to do business for its star player.
It's clear that the Magpies want to keep hold of Isak, who they are trying to commit to a new contract, but Eddie Howe admitted after a pre-season defeat by Celtic on Saturday that he appreciated how short soccer players' careers are, in a possible hint that there is some desire from Isak to move on.
"I've had discussions with him (Isak), but that's not abnormal," Howe said. "I respect a player's career and how short it is. Alex has been really good, he's trained really well and I realise there'll be noise around him."
Howe's post-game media commitments were dominated by Isak talk, after the Swede was left out of the squad altogether.
“It was my decision [to leave Isak out]," Howe said. "He travelled back to Glasgow with us but I decided to send him home due to the speculation around him. The last thing he wanted is to be sat in the stand watching, that wasn’t fair to him. But i’m confident he will be a Newcastle player come the end of the window.”
Howe may have said he is confident that Isak will stay, but the player has clearly been affected by the speculation surrounding his future, or else he would have been fine to play against Celtic.
Liverpool finds itself in something of a curious predicament with its striker pursuit. The club is clearly pressing ahead with the deal to sign Ekitike, but might the Reds be left feeling regretful if it were to emerge later in the summer that Isak was available after all?
Surely Liverpool won't sign both players, so is there a decision to be made over whether Liverpool stalls on Ekitike to see whether the Isak deal might be doable?
Judging by recent reports, it sounds like that decision has already been made, with a deal for Ekitike edging closer and closer by the day.
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