New Target: Liverpool Shortlist “Outrãgeous” £67m Forward Who’s Just Another Darwin Nunez
Liverpool have executed a smart move, securing a £10m agreement with Real Madrid for Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Spanish giants have agreed to pay a premium to sign the right-back in time for the Club World Cup.
For perspective, Real Madrid have spent just a third of what Liverpool have paid Bayer Leverkusen for Jeremie Frimpong, who finalised his transfer on Friday in a deal worth £29.5m.
Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards are showing themselves to be an impressive partnership. After facing criticism for a lack of spending over the last two transfer windows, they have now stepped up, making significant moves to strengthen Arne Slot’s Premier League champions.
Liverpool supporters have reasons to be optimistic. While anticipation grows around the potential arrivals of Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez and Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz, there are more exciting developments expected.
One key target remains: Liverpool are in search of a new centre-forward.
Liverpool’s Hunt for a Striker
Darwin Nunez has played his final game for Liverpool. Signed from Benfica in 2022 for a fee that could reach £85m, the Uruguayan forward has often been criticised for his lack of finishing ability and his struggles to make a strong impact in the Premier League.
Now, a departure appears imminent, with interest coming from clubs in Spain and the Saudi Pro League.
Under Arne Slot, Nunez, 25, has managed just seven goals in 47 appearances across all competitions. To put that in perspective, he has failed to find the net in 42 of those games.
Diogo Jota has also had a challenging season, with ongoing fitness issues hampering his performances for much of his time at Liverpool. As a result, there have been suggestions he too could be sold.
With Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak not an option, Liverpool have reportedly turned their attention to Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike. However, they are likely to face strong competition from Chelsea, who remain interested in the French forward despite being close to sealing a £30m deal for Liam Delap.
Fenway Sports Group are known for having backup plans, but if reports are accurate, their alternative targets might not be the names fans are expecting.
Liverpool Add New CF to Shortlist
Liverpool reporter Sam McGuire has revealed that Paris Saint-Germain’s Goncalo Ramos is now on Liverpool’s shortlist as Arne Slot looks for options to strengthen his Premier League title-winning squad.
While Ramos, 23, is not considered a top priority, he is being monitored closely, with Liverpool’s data-led recruitment approach indicating he has the potential to develop into a top-level player.
Back in 2022, former Liverpool sporting director Julian Ward was eager to bring Ramos to Anfield. However, Jurgen Klopp was more drawn to Darwin Nunez and pushed for the Uruguayan’s signing instead.
What Goncalo Ramos Would Bring to Liverpool
Benfica-reared strikers, ay. Liverpool know all about them.
The signing of Darwin Nunez has not worked out as Liverpool had hoped, with the striker struggling to make the desired impact. Now, the club must find a proper centre-forward to support Mohamed Salah and the rest of the attacking line.
Is Goncalo Ramos the answer to this problem? It’s open to debate. Luis Enrique has not made the Portuguese international a regular starter at Paris Saint-Germain, limiting him to just 16 starts across all competitions. Nevertheless, Ramos has managed 18 goals and six assists this season.
Liverpool have been stung before when signing from Benfica, and although Ramos wouldn’t be joining directly from Liga Portugal, he is a product of the Eagles’ academy. He scored 41 goals in 106 appearances for Benfica before joining PSG in a deal worth €80m (£67m).
No specific fee has been mentioned in relation to Liverpool’s reported interest, but it’s likely the French side would expect a significant sum for a young player who, despite an inconsistent start, has 40 goal contributions from 80 games.
Given Ramos’ mixed form in Ligue 1, there is an argument that he could follow a similar path to Nunez at Liverpool if they were to make a move for him this summer.
| League Stats 24/25 – Darwin Nunez vs Goncalo Ramos | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stats (* per game) | Nunez | Ramos |
| Matches (starts) | 30 (8) | 22 (12) |
| Goals | 5 | 10 |
| Assists | 2 | 3 |
| Shots (on target)* | 1.1 (0.4) | 2.5 (1.5) |
| Big chances missed | 8 | 18 |
| Accurate passes* | 5.3 (71%) | 8.7 (81%) |
| Key passes* | 0.4 | 0 7 |
| Dribbles* | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| Tackles + interceptions* | 0.8 | 0.5 |
| Duels won* | 2.1 | 2.0 |
| Stats Source: Sofascore | ||
It is somewhat concerning that Ramos has struggled to complete dribbles in the league this season, largely relying on his teammates’ hard work in the final third rather than creating chances himself.
Adding to the worry is his wastefulness in front of goal, having missed 18 big chances while scoring just ten times. This is not the record of a natural finisher ready to step in for Nunez and prove to Liverpool fans that he is the better option.
According to FBref, Ramos does rank among the top 9% of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion. However, aside from this, his underlying data offers little to suggest he could be a game-changing addition.
Ramos was once praised by talent scout Jacek Kulig for an “outrageous start” to his international career with Portugal, but while he has shown flashes of talent, he has not yet demonstrated that he has what it takes to lead Liverpool’s attack next season. The last thing the fans need is a repeat of the struggles they have seen with Nunez.
What Slot needs instead is a confident, consistent goalscorer capable of delivering a high-level attacking threat. For that reason, this may be a target FSG should set aside in favour of exploring other options.
At this stage, it’s unclear how serious Liverpool’s interest in Ramos truly is. But if recent reports are to be believed, there is some intrigue, and the Reds may yet choose to make a bold, unexpected signing to bolster their attacking options.
Given the current strength in Liverpool’s frontline, it’s worth asking whether Ramos would actually elevate the team, especially when considering his inconsistency in finishing.
In other news, Liverpool Get Boost in Their Pursuit of Milos Kerkez as Arne Slot Looks to Make Second Full-back Addition After Jeremie Frimpong
