Liverpool are reportedly determined to sign Alexander Isak if a £130 million deal can be agreed upon.
However, before focusing on the Newcastle striker, the club considered five other forwards as potential alternatives, including Marcus Rashford.
According to the Daily Mail’s Dominic King, Rashford was “floated” as a potential target during Liverpool’s transfer meetings, but “nothing progressed beyond that.”
King also detailed the other alternatives Liverpool explored before making contact over Isak.
While it remains uncertain whether Liverpool will successfully land the Newcastle striker, Isak is clearly the club’s leading candidate and arguably the only truly elite centre-forward currently available on the market.
Discussions between sporting director Richard Hughes and chief scout Barry Hunter reportedly included Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, Brentford’s Yoane Wissa, Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike.
Liverpool’s interest in Ekitike are well documented – he remains the fallback option should Isak not be signed.
However, the consideration of Watkins and Wissa is a notable development.
Both Watkins and Wissa were among the five most prolific Premier League centre-forwards last season, with Wissa scoring 19 goals and Watkins 16, ranking behind only Isak, Erling Haaland, and Chris Wood among top scorers.
Still, neither Watkins nor Wissa fit the elite level Liverpool ultimately seek as they look to replace Darwin Nunez as their primary striker.
Watkins will turn 30 in December, and Wissa will be 29 in two months, which limits their potential for further development even if they joined a top-tier club.
The same applies to Rashford, who turns 28 in October and has arguably not fulfilled the world-class potential he once showed at Manchester United.
Although the England international is expected to leave Old Trafford this summer, a move to Liverpool is highly unlikely given the fierce rivalry between the clubs.
In reality, among the five strikers considered, Ekitike stands as the only viable alternative to Isak. This also explains Newcastle’s reported interest in the 23-year-old.
The names mentioned by King highlight why securing Isak would be so crucial for Liverpool this summer, given the scarcity of world-class strikers they can realistically target.
While Newcastle have publicly insisted that their No. 14 is not for sale and that their bid for Ekitike aims to play the pair together, BBC Sport’s Sami Mokbel reports that a £130million offer could “successfully get Isak out of St James’ Park.”
Read more: Darwin Nunez move to Napoli falls through as exit from Liverpool still likely
Liverpool ready to submit £130m bid for Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak
Liverpool make move for Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak
