Hughes in talks to sign £63m “monster” for Liverpool

Liverpool are preparing to defend their Premier League title, and while Arne Slot will be emboldened by the ambitious signings made thus far, their divisional rivals are growing in strength, packaging their teams with fresh parts.

But the Merseysiders set the standard with the £100m signing of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, a deal which may yet rise to £116m with add-ons.

It’s a fool’s game to name a prediction for the Premier League Player of the Year before the campaign’s even kicked off (but here we go anyway), and Wirtz hasn’t even played competitively in the English game yet, but he’s got to be among the frontrunners, and rightly so.

The attacking midfielder’s peerless creativity established him as a superstar in Germany, and he will hold the key to unlocking defences and charging Slot’s goalscoring endeavours.

In many respects, football is secondary at Anfield after the tragic passing of Diogo Jota, yet before too long, Richard Hughes’ focus will turn back to the transfer market with the 2025/26 campaign only weeks away – and Darwin Nunez expected to leave Liverpool for a new chapter.

The latest on Liverpool’s striker search

The Athletic have confirmed that Liverpool are prioritising the acquisition of a new central striker as we head into the next phase of the summer transfer window.

Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak remains the dreamy top target, but signing him will be no easy feat, rated at £200m by his employers, who have no wish to sell.

However, the Magpies are looking to close a deal for Hugo Ekitike, another high on Liverpool’s list, which could spark a series of variables that might just play to Anfield’s favour. However, this is conjectural right now.

In any case, Liverpool need to replace Nunez, who only scored seven times last term and is heading toward the exit, something both parties are open to. Even with an elite playmaker in Wirtz joining the club, it’s felt the 25-year-old has had ample chances to prove himself.

With Napoli and Al Hilal both keen on the Uruguayan, the former already coming close but to be thwarted by financial differences, it’s only a matter of time before a move progresses for Nunez.

And when that happens, FSG are primed to sign a new out-and-out frontman.

According to Liverpool reporter Matt Thielen, Liverpool have been in contact with Samu Aghehowa’s agents as they search for a new striker this summer.

The Reds aren’t the only ones scanning the market for a new striker to have centred on Aghehowa, however, with Aston Villa and Newcastle United both having shown an interest in recent weeks.

The 21-year-old could also prove to be cost-efficient. While he has an £82.5m release clause in his contract, Samu could be sold for considerably less at £63m.

Why Liverpool want Samu Aghehowa

In 2024, Aghehowa looked set for a transfer from Atletico Madrid to Chelsea, before the move collapsed and Porto swooped in.

The Blues’ frustrations proved to be the Portuguese outfit’s gain, for they have enjoyed the prolific qualities of a thriving young striker who has been hailed for his “elite potential” by analyst Ben Mattinson after scoring 27 goals and adding three assists across 45 matches in all competitions last term, notably dispatching a cool brace against Manchester United in the Europa League.

The Spanish striker has proved himself to be a deadly marksman, but he’s also a crisp and progressive distributor, ranked among the top 4% of strikers across divisions similar to the Liga Portugal last year for pass completion and the top 6% for through balls per 90, as per FBref.

In this regard, Slot could sign a new centre-forward with the goalscoring instinct and indeed technical awareness to operate within the ranged tactical parameters the Dutch coach likes to enforce.

And it’s a tactical quirk which could find an ideal partner in Wirtz, whose ball-playing qualities and silky movement would allow the striker to find space with consistency and strike on goal. Or, conversely, ‘Samu’ could use his capacity to drop deep and play surgical balls into the box to keep defenders guessing, letting his 22-year-old teammate sidle into space.

Hailed as a “monster in the making” with a “complete profile” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Aghehowa has the potential to throw down with the finest number nines that the game has to offer, but he’s not there yet.

However, his still-in-development skill set could actually be the perfect thing for Wirtz, with the two attacking players combining and growing in accordance with their partnership, learning all about the idiosyncrasies of each other’s games.

Looking at his clinical edge and ability to maximise a goalscoring opportunity (only hitting the target at an average of 1.1 times per league match last season) the Spanish forward could be elevated to the next level by Wirtz.

The German, after all, has been described as a “genius” of a creator by former Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, with his flowing river of chances sure to raise the 6 foot 4 powerhouse’s output.

Given that, were Aghehowa to sign, this could be Liverpool’s definitive offensive duo for an age, it makes sense that Hughes would have a vested interest.

Newcastle appear to be closing in on a deal for Ekitike, and the line over on Tyneside is Isak’s staying put; the 25-year-old will work in tandem with his younger French teammate.

Liverpool will, of course, remain attentive to Isak’s situation. Still, FSG’s ambitions only run so far, and it seems unlikely that a figure in the ballpark of £200m would be green-lit after such steep expenditure already.

With this Porto phenom going from strength to strength, Slot and co could forget about all that and focus on a man who looks perfect for this high-flying project.

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