Hugo Ekitike’s injury and Alexander Isak’s uneven debut have pushed Liverpool back into the striker market, with three fresh solutions in view.
Liverpool do not need a dramatic reminder that they are still short of certainty at centre-forward, because this season has already given them plenty of those. The idea behind signing Alexander Isak was easy to understand, but the move has not really settled into rhythm because he arrived after a delayed transfer without a full pre-season, then lost time to a groin problem, and later suffered a broken ankle and fibula, leaving him with only ten starts and three goals at that stage of the campaign.
That is why it would be unfair to frame Isak’s struggles as a talent issue alone, because the bigger problem has been the lack of continuity around him. Meanwhile,Liverpool have now been hit by another major setback after Hugo Ekitike ruptured his Achilles against Paris Saint-Germain, with the club confirming he will miss the rest of the season and Sky reporting fears that the recovery could stretch from at least six months to as long as nine.
In practical terms, that throws Liverpool back into the market for a striker this summer. They cannot head into next season hoping fitness alone will solve a problem area that has already been so unstable, especially with Ekitike facing a long lay-off and Isak still needing a proper reset after a stop-start first year. For that reason, Liverpool’s recruitment team may now have to revisit the striker shortlist and weigh up three names who each offer something a little different.
Goncalo Ramos: A second-fiddle, but serious striker
Goncalo Ramos may not be the loudest name on Liverpool’s shortlist, but there is a strong case for him being one of the most practical. Since moving to Paris, he has not always been the central figure in PSG’s attack, yet he has managed to produce credible numbers across two seasons, with 13 goals in 34 appearances in 2024/25 and 10 in 54 appearances in 2025/26, continuing to chip in despite a reduced role.
That matters because Liverpool do not just need star power this summer; they need stability, availability and a striker who understands that earning minutes at a top club is part of the job. Ramos has already lived that reality in Paris.
From Liverpool’s angle, that experience could make him an especially sensible fit. Alexander Isak’s first season has been badly disrupted by fitness issues and a lack of rhythm, so the club need someone who can compete immediately without demanding that the whole attack be reshaped around him, and Ramos looks closer to that profile than a more high-maintenance signing would.
He would arrive knowing that the No. 9 shirt is not simply being handed over, but that should suit a player who has spent the last two years fighting for relevance in one of Europe’s most demanding dressing rooms. The challenge at Anfield would be clear: compete with Isak, stay ready, take chances when they come and push the standard of the position upward.
There is also something appealing about the lack of drama in his profile. Ramos is not being sold as a miracle fix or a glamorous obsession; he looks more like a serious squad upgrade who can become more than that through consistency.
That may actually be the smarter route for Liverpool after a season in which the striker position has felt unstable for reasons of injuries, adaptation and timing. If the club want a forward who can score, accept rotation and still push to become the first-choice No. 9, Ramos feels like a strong answer. However, Liverpool may face stiff competition for his signature, as he is also a target for Juventus, Chelsea, and Manchester United.
Anthony Gordon: Two profiles fused into one
Anthony Gordon is probably the most unusual name in this conversation, but that is exactly what makes him so interesting from a Liverpool point of view. The Englishman is not a classic centre-forward in the traditional sense, yet he offers something the squad may badly need: flexibility without a major drop in quality.
Liverpool have been linked with him before, particularly during Newcastle’s financial squeeze in 2024, and the noise around that possibility has never fully disappeared. Add in the personal angle and it becomes even more compelling.
Gordon has openly said that he was in Liverpool’s academy as a child before being released at 11. He has also admitted that his family are all Liverpool supporters, which gives this potential move a layer of emotional logic that most transfer stories do not have.
What makes Gordon especially appealing is that he could solve two problems with one signing. Liverpool are not only looking at the centre-forward position because of Hugo Ekitike’s long-term Achilles injury and Alexander Isak’s disrupted first year, they also need greater certainty and pace in the wider attacking areas. Gordon brings that.
He can attack from the left, stretch games in transition, press aggressively and still make the sort of direct runs that can trouble defenders in central spaces. That means Liverpool would not necessarily be buying a pure No. 9, but they would be adding an attacker capable of easing the burden across the whole front line.
There is also a tactical attraction in how Gordon plays. He is intense, vertical and comfortable in fast, open games, which gives him a natural compatibility with Liverpool’s attacking style. Rather than waiting for the game to come to him, he tends to force defenders backwards, and that quality has value in a side that can sometimes become too neat around the box when it lacks running power.
The 25-year-old would also give Liverpool room to rotate shapes across a season, because he can start wide and then move into narrower positions depending on the game state. The obvious concern is whether Liverpool would be walking into another drawn-out Newcastle United negotiation. That is where the Isak comparison comes in.
The Magpies are not an easy club to buy from, Gordon is under a long contract reported to run until 2030. Current reporting has continued to suggest that any serious conversation would likely involve a very high asking price. Additionally, the Reds face intense battle from other suitors, including Manchester United, PSG, Arsenal, and Chelsea.
So while the football logic is strong, the financial logic is more complicated. Liverpool would need to decide whether his versatility is valuable enough to justify another premium deal with the same club. Even with that risk, Gordon still feels like a very Liverpool kind of target.
He is quick, proven in the Premier League, emotionally connected to the club and capable of improving more than one position at once. The challenge is that he may not completely fix the specialist striker issue on his own.
But if Liverpool are thinking more broadly about how to rebuild the attack after Ekitike’s injury and Isak’s uneven first campaign, Gordon offers a different kind of solution: not just a replacement, but a reshaping of the front line
Luis Suarez: Will Liverpool take another risk out of Portugal?
Luis Suarez looks like the most direct striker solution of the three. His 2025/26 league numbers for Sporting CP are the kind that immediately demand attention, amassing 27 Liga Portugal goals and seven assists in 31 league appearances, on top of further contributions across Europe and the domestic cups.
For a Liverpool side that has lacked certainty through the middle, that sort of return matters. With Hugo Ekitike facing a long recovery after a ruptured Achilles and Alexander Isak having endured a broken ankle in a disrupted first season, Liverpool have a strong case for targeting a forward who lives around the penalty box and can turn pressure into goals.
What makes Suarez appealing is that he appears to offer the profile of a proper central striker rather than a hybrid attacker being asked to learn the role on the job. His output suggests a player who can finish chances consistently, occupy centre-backs and give Liverpool a more fixed point in the final third.
That could be especially useful if the club want to build the rest of the attack around pace and creativity from wide areas, because a more traditional No. 9 often benefits from service while also making life easier for the players around him. In that sense, Suarez would not need to be the entire attack; he would need to be the man who gives it shape.
There will still be hesitation around any striker arriving from the Primeira Liga, because big numbers in one setting do not always transfer neatly into the Premier League. That is the main risk in Suarez’s case. But there is also upside in the timing.
Liverpool are no longer just shopping for long-term potential; they may need a competitive addition who can score, challenge Isak and cover for the absence of Ekitike straight away. If that is the brief, Suarez becomes a very credible option because he brings end product, centre-forward instincts and the look of a player ready for a bigger stage.
Outlook
Of the three, Goncalo Ramos feels like the best fit for Liverpool right now. Anthony Gordon is a strong player and the emotional angle of a move to Anfield is clearly there, but he still looks more like a multi-use attacker than the specialist No. 9 Liverpool most urgently need.
Luis Suarez would bring more adaptation risk even with his outstanding numbers in Portugal. Ramos offers the middle ground. He has worked in a demanding PSG environment, he has still returned double-figure goal totals across the last two seasons, and he looks like the type of forward who would accept competition rather than expect the team to revolve around him.
That matters for Liverpool because Isak’s difficult first season has been shaped largely by the absence of a full pre-season and a series of injuries, not by any shortage of quality. In that context, Ramos would improve the squad without closing the door on Isak, while also reducing the risk of another season being dictated by uncertainty at striker.
