The £60m forward signing who will supercharge Liverpool's title bid - if they act fast

The speculation surrounding Liverpools’ transfer window is at high volume right now, as they remain the only Premier League team yet to make a senior signing this year. The Reds opted for a quiet January but after Jurgen Klopp’s departure, many expected some major changes in the summer.

While rumours have been pinging from pillar to post, particularly exit links, things seem to have diluted as we enter the final weeks of the window. Fans were fearful they would be without Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and others for the new season, amid countless reports of third party interest and player uncertainty.

However, Liverpool are yet to sign off on any major departures, which is a good sign so far. There is still time left before the window closes though, so realistically, anything could still unfold. On the signing front, the Reds have been targeting new defenders following a troublesome season with injuries. The departure of Joël Matip and rumours surrounding Joe Gomez’s future has heightened Liverpool’s need for a new centre-back but according to The Times, the England international is ‘committed’ to the project at Anfield.

While a new defender will certainly give Arne Slot a boost, their current set-up is strong and reliable when all key players are fit. The same can somewhat be said in attack — the front three is certainly strong but questions have risen over how reliable they are.

It’s totally unrealistic to expect players to never make a mistake — they are still human. But sadly, mistakes become less tolerable at the highest level of football with a Premier League trophy on the line. Last season, the Reds emerged as frontrunners in the race for the 2023/24 title, but some unexpected disappointing results completely sunk their chances towards the final stretch.

One of the main complaints for Liverpool’s season was their wastefulness in front of goal. Darwin Núñez was the main man in the firing line for missing chances. The Uruguayan squandered 27 big goalscoring chances last season, second to only Erling Haaland with 34, who still won the league with Manchester City regardless, and picked up the Golden Boot for good measure as well.

While Haaland missed a significant amount of chances, fans and professionals have scarcely mentioned them, as he still managed to get the job done in the end. Núñez remains topic of conversation, after scoring 11 Premier League goals last season. However, he was not the only player guilty of fluffing his lines in front of goal.

Liverpool pulled in a lot of criticism after their performances against Manchester United last season. Their last meeting of the season saw the Reds register 28 shots and seven on target, with just a 2-2 draw to show for it. Before that, Klopp was denied a final FA Cup when United won 4-3 in extra time, despite Liverpool attempting 25 shots and hitting 11 on target.

The 0-0 draw at Anfield was a similar story. Liverpool came away with just one point and no goals on the sheet, even after a massive 34 shots and eight on target, compared to just eight shots and one on target for United.

With performances like this likely playing on their mind, Liverpool have been scouting potential new attacking options. One name on the radar is Viktor Gyökeres, who has attracted a lot of attention after netting 43 goals in all competitions last season with Sporting CP, who want a reported £60 million for him.

The Swedish international signed for the Portuguese side from Coventry Cirty, where he also shone in front of goal. In the 2022/23 season, Gyökeres contributed 22 goals, following a similar return of 18 in the campaign prior. The 24-year-old has proven his high numbers are not a fluke and surely with attacking powerhouses like Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota around him, he can only be expected to continue this fine form.

Liverpool’s attack has heavily relied on its wingers for years now, with Salah the main man of the show. But with a natural goal-poacher like Gyökeres around to slot home loose balls, missed chances and sumptuous balls in from deeper in the field, it could sharpen the knife edge that used to be one of the most feared attacks in the world.

It doesn’t necessarily mean Núñez would need to be moved on, either. With both him and Cody Gakpo able to play up front and on the wing, Slot could rotate his front three where needed and encourage performances with healthy competition. After the 2024/25 season, we could see some players leave based on their performances, but this campaign is not expected to be perfect, so why not take some risks that could pay off wonderful dividends, or at least give Slot an idea on what is most effective for his new team?