When Alexander Isak latched onto a Florian Wirtz through-ball and fired home at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it felt like his career on Merseyside had finally sprung to life.
It had been a struggle for the £125million new recruit up until that point. Two goals and one assist read his return heading into the clash in North London. That run of form had even seen him relegated to the bench.
So after the Swede’s instant impact on Saturday, you’d have expected him to wheel away towards the travelling fans and release some pent up frustration. But no, he lay in a heap on the floor having been clattered by Micky Van de Ven.
The stretcher was momentarily called on and Isak was replaced, wincing as he limped back towards a no-doubt lonely away dressing room. His injury feared to be a broken left leg, which could see him side-lined for months.
The question which now begs is, do Liverpool need a replacement? With the January transfer window just days away, you’d be remiss to think that’s a question the hierarchy at Anfield are not contemplating too.
But the Reds may not need to break the bank to bring a No 9 in next month. Here, Daily Mail Sport takes a look at the strikers who Arne Slot could turn to in a bid to boost his threadbare frontline.
When Alexander Isak put Liverpool 1-0 up at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it should have sprung his Reds career to life
But the £125million man was forced to wince off after suffering a suspected broken left leg
Ivan Toney
Since his cash-grab move to the Saudi Pro League in the summer of 2024, Ivan Toney has been almost constantly linked with a return to the Premier League.
He was seen by many as the solution to Man United’s Rasmus Hojlund problem a year ago, while also being tipped to join Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.
However a move never materialised and Toney has continued scoring with ease in the Middle East. 42 goals in 62 appearances read his stats for Al-Ahli, though take those with a pinch of salt. We know all too well the quality of the Saudi league.
Yet a return to the Premier League seems more a matter of when rather than if for Toney. At 29, he’s far from over the hill and should (surely) have ambitions of playing for England again with the World Cup now just six months away.
To realise that dream, a move to one of Europe’s top leagues is likely a necessity and there’s little doubt that he could still score goals on English soil.
He’s thought to be available for around £20million this January if Liverpool want to take a punt, though whether they would is another matter.
Ivan Toney is thought to be available for around £20million this January if Liverpool want to take a punt
Dusan Vlahovic
Another player seemingly constantly touted to the Premier League is Juventus’s Dusan Vlahovic.
Once hailed as one of the continent’s most exciting young strikers at Fiorentina, the Serbian was rumoured to be on the verge of joining Arsenal before opting to stay in Italy and sign for the Old Lady.
His move to Turin has been far from a disaster. 64 goals in 162 games is by no means a shoddy return but the club are thought to be keen to cash in.
Juve’s General Manager Damien Comolli confirmed last summer that the 25-year-old was ‘free to leave if the right offer came in’ but that bid never arrived.
Now, with just six months of his deal left, Vlahovic could be available for a fee of less than £20million.
Dusan Vlahovic is thought to be free to leave Juventus this January with his deal up in the summer
Aleksandar Mitrovic
Another Serbian who could be on the move this winter is Vlahovic’s fellow countryman Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Premier League viewers know all about him from his days at Fulham. If there’s one way to describe him as a striker, it’s that he’s a handful.
Powerful in the air and formidable with his back to goal, Mitrovic scored 111 goals in 206 games during his days at Craven Cottage. His return of 68 goals in 79 appearances for Al-Ahli isn’t bad either.
He’s since moved on to the Qatari top-flight with Al-Rayyan. But at the age of just 31, still has plenty to give.
He was briefly linked with a move to Man United last summer before they opted to sign Benjamin Sesko, and could be a viable stop-gap option for Arne Slot, particularly off the bench.
At the age of 31, Aleksandar Mitrovic could be a viable stop-gap option for Liverpool and Arne Slot
Danny Welbeck
I’m not necessarily saying that former Man United man Danny Welbeck would be interested in a move to Anfield, but there are few Premier League front men in better form than the veteran.
His seven goals in 16 appearances for Brighton & Hove Albion this season have even prompted talk of a return to the England squad.
At the age of 35, next summer’s North American World Cup will realistically be Welbeck’s final chance to represent his country at a major tournament. Does he have more chance of making that happen at Brighton or at Liverpool? I’ll let you decide.
He’s admittedly not a man for the future, but would be a proven, experienced option as a stop-gap.
Then again, as previously mentioned, this is a boyhood United fan who made 142 appearances for the Red Devils. Whether he’d want to join the select club of players to don the red of both Liverpool and United is another matter.
There are few Premier League front men in better form than Brighton’s Danny Welbeck
Endrick
Despite being compared to the great Pele before he signed for Real Madrid, Endrick’s move to the Spanish capital just hasn’t worked out.
He showed promise last season when trusted by Carlo Ancelotti, particularly off the bench, but new Los Blancos boss Xabi Alonso just doesn’t seem to fancy him.
The Brazilian has made merely three appearances this season and looks to be on his way out of the Bernabeu in January, likely on loan.
He’s been heavily linked with a loan move to Marseille, where he would join up with former Man United man Mason Greenwood and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but it’s a move which the Reds could hijack.
Out of the options listed in this report, Endrick is no-doubt the most exciting. At 19, he would move to Anfield with an abundance of talent and would be desperate to prove his doubters in Spain wrong.
A loan move until the summer seems a viable option.
Despite being compared to the great Pele before he signed he signed for Real Madrid, Endrick’s move to the Spanish capital just hasn’t worked out
