The £83m lethal striker who could do wonders for Liverpool's title ambitions - if they make difficult decision

Liverpool’s attack is fit and firing once again this season, with ten goals on the board so far in their first five Premier League fixtures. Mohamed Salah and Luis Díaz are both in sensational form on the wings with 13 goal contributions between them, meaning one or the other has played a direct hand in 65 percent of Liverpool’s league goals so far.

With neither winger missing a single Premier League start this season, it’s clear to see Arne Slot’s preferences out wide as he continues to figure out his team in these early stages. One position he still seems to be experimenting with though is his striker.

Last season, Diogo Jota earned a lot of praise for his clinical goal-scoring and even had Jamie Carragher lauding him as Liverpool’s best finisher of the Premier League era. His start to this season may be a little slower than Slot and some fans might’ve liked though, with just one goal on the board so far.

Fortunately, the Reds have been heavily influenced by their wingers for years now, allowing the likes of Roberto Firmino to take on more of a feeder role in the past, rather than a typical goal-poacher. However, a typical number nine who scores double figures every season is something that will undoubtedly take Liverpool to huge new heights with their goal-scoring threat, and they’ve been linked with some big names in recent months.

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool remain ‘attentive’ to the situation with Viktor Gyökeres, who is on the radar of a number of Premier League clubs. The report claims that the Reds join Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea monitoring the Sporting CP striker, who already has a superb return of 11 goals and three assists in eight games across all competitions this season.

Last campaign, Gyökeres tallied an eye-popping 43 goals and 15 assists, commanding attention from a number of clubs around the world, but the main pull continues to be from the Premier League. He reportedly has a €100 million (£83m) release clause in place. While signing someone as prolific as the Swede would undoubtedly boost Liverpool’s silverware chances, it’s not as simply as just bringing in a new forward off the bat.

This season is considered to be a crucial one for Darwin Núñez, who has returned strong numbers since his move to Anfield but often leaves fans frustrating with his lack of end product. The Uruguayan missed 27 big goal-scoring chances last season, with only Erling Haaland squandering more opportunities with 34. However, the fact Haaland won another Premier League title and Golden Boot with Manchester City makes up for his missed chances.

Núñez was given a big opportunity to impress Slot against Bournemouth as he made his first start of the season. He grabbed the chance with both hands by scoring an audacious goal to cement Liverpool’s win, but the pressure isn’t off his shoulders. Núñez will need to keep this up if he wants to compete against Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo for a spot up front. If his season ends with more of a ripple than a splash, Liverpool could opt to sell him on and open the door for another No.9 capable of hitting the target week in, week out.

As things stand, the Reds have no room for the marquee £83 million signing of Gyökeres but it’s hard to argue against his clinical nature in front of goal. If the board decide to offload Núñez at the end of the season, it could open the door for major cash to be splashed on a replacement. However, if he proves himself in this new era under Slot, he will continue to be a key part of the team moving forwards.