Robbie Fowler has urged Liverpool to ‘go and get’ one current Premier League striker in the summer transfer window…and it’s not Alexander Isak.
The Newcastle marksman has been heavily linked with the Reds in recent weeks, although David Ornstein has warned that the finances involved could be overly prohibitive, which could well be the case considering Luke Edwards’ assertion that the Swede would cost upwards of £150m.
That’d likely force Richard Hughes to look elsewhere if he wants to sign a centre-forward this summer, with Darwin Nunez reliably touted to leave Anfield off the back of an underwhelming campaign (seven goals in 44 games).
Fowler suggests Watkins as an alternative to Isak
In an interview with The i Paper, Fowler voiced his belief that Liverpool will indeed try to recruit a striker over the next four months, and he suggested a viable alternative to the Magpies’ number 14 that the Reds could pursue.
The 50-year-old said: “The problem is clubs know that they are potentially on the lookout for a No 9, so the prices will become silly. If you look at Isak, he’s going to be £100m-plus easily. He’s a wonderful player, but Liverpool may not want to pay that, and they’ll look around.
“You could look at Ollie Watkins. He doesn’t really fit the model in terms of what Liverpool want, given his age [29], but I’d go and get him for a couple of years because he’s a tremendous player and established and experienced in the Premier League.”
Watkins could be worth a go if Isak is unattainable
Could Watkins be a plausible summer transfer target for Liverpool if a move for Isak proves to be unfeasible?
Fowler has rightly pointed out that the Aston Villa striker’s age doesn’t fit the convention of a typical FSG signing, and his status as an England international who’s proven his worth in the Premier League means that he too won’t come cheap.
However, if the 29-year-old is to leave the Midlands, it feels as though it could happen this summer. He recently voiced his extreme displeasure at being left out of the starting XI by Unai Emery and, if the Villans fail to qualify for the Champions League, he might well fancy a move elsewhere to have another crack at the competition.
His nationality would also help towards Liverpool meeting homegrown player requirements for domestic and international squads; and if he were to arrive at Anfield, we’d imagine that he’d do so as Arne Slot’s automatic first-choice at centre-forward, especially if Nunez leaves.
Watkins would not only all but guarantee goals (he’s hit double figures in each of his last nine league campaigns, five of those in the top flight), he’d also likely be hugely reliable in terms of availability. According to Transfermarkt, he’s only missed three games through injury in his entire career.
Isak will probably continue to be Hughes’ top priority in terms of prospective centre-forward recruitment, but if the Newcastle star is well and truly unattainble, then Fowler’s suggestion of the Aston Villa marksman as an alternative seems like it could be worth pursuing.
