Liverpool's preferred Darwin Nunez replacement is someone experienced in front of goal, Reds transfer expert David Lynch has insisted.
The champions were held to a 2-2 stalemate by Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday, but the result was of little consequence given the title had been won on April 27.
With the league season effectively finished, attention amongst supporters has turned towards the upcoming summer transfer window, with the likes of striker Nunez expected to leave the club.
When asked by Sports Mole about what type of striker Liverpool could sign in his place, Lynch namechecked Napoli number nine Victor Osimhen as an experienced option, saying: "Liverpool would prefer to go down the route of someone who has more experience [and] has a better record of production. I look at the number nine market at the moment and you see the prices put on Sesko and Ekitike.
"I don't see the point of Liverpool investing big in those players. Their recruitment staff is incredible with the insight they have and their ability to project where a player is going. Maybe they will see something in Ekitike and Sesko that I've not seen, but to me they still look like very raw players, scoring goals in a league where it is easier to score goals. They look like they've got rough edges.
"Osimhen wouldn't be a bad target at all. He's got a goal record behind him, he's absolutely incredible and he's clearly a top player. It's just about whether his wage demands have settled down from last summer, but we will see around that. I think it would be a better place to go for someone like that rather than an Ekitike or a Sesko."
Osimhen is currently on loan at Turkish Super Lig side Galatasaray, and given his relationship with the Napoli hierarchy is seemingly beyond repair, perhaps an opportunistic deal could be struck in the summer.
Who else could Liverpool target?
The Reds have been linked with a host of strikers, including Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez and Sporting Lisbon's Viktor Gyokeres, who would undoubtedly prove costly.
Both are proven goalscorers but other top sides such as Arsenal have been credited in an interest in Gyokeres, while Alvarez will only have one season under his belt at Atletico Madrid by the time the summer transfer window opens, so perhaps the Merseysiders will be forced to look elsewhere.
Lynch argued that Liverpool could look to sign an unconventional number nine, telling Sports Mole: "It's going to be a big summer and nobody at Liverpool is playing that down. You just wonder whether they're going to go big on a striker in terms of someone that will offer some level of guarantees. Alvarez would certainly be that, but he's contracted for a little while yet - he would be very expensive.
"Even Gyokeres - he scored in the Championship, he scored in Portugal. Can that translate to the Premier League? That's the big ask around him, but you would certainly feel more comfortable if Liverpool went for a bigger name. Equally, let's not be surprised if it's someone who comes out of left field.
"Maybe someone who's not an out-and-out centre-forward, somebody who is more of an Ousmane Dembele type who can play the central role, but isn't that [typical] centre-forward. But if they bring elite quality, that would be good for Liverpool. The striker signing is absolutely fascinating."
Slot has at times used Luis Diaz as his side's central striker, with the Colombian asked to operate as a false nine to link play with teammates.
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Letting Salah down
Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah has managed to find the back of the net 28 times in the Premier League this term while also providing 18 assists, two shy of tying with the all-time assist record held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
However, Salah has created four big chances since he last registered an assist, and with just two games remaining in the league season, it remains to be seen if he can draw level with Henry and De Bruyne.
Lynch expressed his view that the Egyptian's teammates have at times let him down, and that Slot must look to maximise his productivity through reinforcements, when he told Sports Mole: "He just needs better teammates in attack. Liverpool have done incredibly well to mask this issue because it was something that was an issue last season - the finishing fell off in the back half of the season.
"That was one of the things that cost Liverpool the title, and it seemingly happened again this season. That Liverpool have been getting such an elite level out of the rest of their attack for so long is a pretty remarkable feat. Salah needs a little bit more quality around him, but that is something that we know Liverpool are going to address.
"Something else they're going to have to look at as well is the Trent Alexander-Arnold issue and getting the ball into Salah more frequently. Clearly it's on the agenda to get more help and to find ways of getting the ball to Salah coming into next season."
Upgrading on the likes of Nunez and Diogo Jota should not be too difficult a task considering the duo have only managed to score a combined 11 Premier League goals in 2024-25.
Lewis Nolan
