Transfer tracker: Six perfect landing spots for six elite strikers as Man Utd, Liverpool, Tottenham clinch upgrades

With so many top Premier League clubs potentially looking to bring in a top-level striker this summer, TT has broken down six names and paired them with six clubs in a perfect match scenario.

It’s no secret that the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham, Chelsea and West Ham are all in the market for a new No.9 this summer but despite relatively successful seasons so far, so are current Premier League leaders Arsenal and title-chasing Liverpool.

The Gunners have remarkably scored more league goals than any other team this season (85) despite not playing with a traditional centre-forward for much of the campaign.

Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah have been in and out of the side, while the improving Kai Havertz has often played as the focal point of Mikel Arteta’s impressive attack. Adding a 25-goal-a-season striker to that mix is a scary thought for the rest of the Premier League.

As for Liverpool, their title challenge has faltered down their stretch due to a mix of poor defending but also a complete inability to put away the countless chances they create.

Darwin Nunez has looked much of a threat this season, scoring 18 goals this term, but only 11 have come in the Premier League and he’s been found wanting when it matters most.

And although Mo Salah looks like he will be at the club for another campaign, the Reds legend cannot keep on carrying the load and needs a more reliable goalscorer through the middle to take the heat off him.

The quartet named above Arsenal and Liverpool also have their own differing reasons for needing to improve the middle of their forward lines, so TT looks at the ideal match for each club – without attaching one particular player to three or four teams, despite links to those clubs.

ARSENAL – Joshua Zirkzee (Bologna)

This move makes sense on so many levels, not least because Zirkzee might only cost the Gunners in the region of €60m (£51m).

The 22-year-old Dutch forward is not particularly prolific, having scored 42 goals in 155 career games, but his profile fits in perfectly with what Arteta wants from a No.9.

Recent reports from Gazzetta dello Sport claim that Arsenal have surged into the lead in the race to sign Zirkzee, with other targets like Ivan Toney, Victor Osimhen and Viktor Gyokeres now seemingly put to one side.

Zirkzee has notched 12 goals in 35 games this season but Arteta will also like the seven assists, given the intricate style of football he wants from his players in and around the box.

The former Bayern Munich youngster is also a physical presence though, standing at 6ft 4in, and is not afraid to use that frame to ruffle opponents – as is evidenced by his eight bookings this season.

Arsenal are reportedly willing to pay Zirkzee a £99,000-a-week salary (€6m a year) over a five-year contract, potentially earning the player some €30m (£25m) over the duration of the deal.

That would be a huge upgrade over his current deal in Italy, but by Premier League terms it would represent significant value for the Gunners.

DEEP DIVE: How Liverpool could line up under Arne Slot with triple signing and one position change

LIVERPOOL – Santiago Gimenez (Feyenoord)

The expected arrival of Arne Slot from Feyenoord is bound to mean some of the better players at the Dutch giants could follow their manager to Merseyside, but landing the Mexican hitman is probably a no-brainer.

Gimenez has scored 24 goals in 40 games in all competitions this season, while also chalking up seven assists for his teammates.

The 23-year-old has enough pace to run in behind and keep back lines from pushing too high, but is also good enough on the ball to link play and comes alive in the box with predatory finishing instincts.

Slot also knows Gimenez’s game on every level so the potential of a move to Liverpool makes more and more sense.

In terms of how much the Reds would have to cough up to get their man, there have been reports that any suitors would have to pay an Eredivisie-record sum. That figure currently stands at the £86m Manchester United paid Ajax for Antony in 2022.

Transfermarkt, meanwhile, currently has Gimenez valued at €45m so it may well be that somewhere between those figures is where the attacker’s price tag actually falls.

TOTTENHAM – Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting)

When we did our ‘one player for each club to sign‘ feature recently, the main focus for Tottenham was beefing up their midfield but a Harry Kane replacement remains an absolute must.

Richarlison has still not proven that he can be a reliable goalscorer through the middle while Son Heung-min is not as effective playing centrally as he is from the left of the front three.

And while Gyokeres has been more heavily inked with the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea, the attributes that make him so good are perfect for Ange Postecoglou.

The Sweden international is a powerful presence in attack who would offer a much better point of attack but has also lightning pace and is a clinical finisher.

Throughout his career so far, Gyokeres is not far off scoring a goal every two games, with 117 in 267 senior appearances.

This season he has notched an incredible 40 times in 46 outings for a Sporting side who are closing in on another Portuguese title under Ruben Amorim, who has had talks over potentially joining West Ham this summer.

The only issue is whether Daniel Levy is willing to spend big on a striker as Gyokeres’ current release clause stands at £86m.

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MAN UTD – Serhou Guirassy (Stuttgart)

Much depends on who is in charge at Old Trafford beyond the end of the season, but Guirassy would be a quality addition to the United frontline proving strong competition for Rasmus Hojlund in the process.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has so many holes to potentially fill on the current Red Devils starting XI that splashing out massive money on a new striker when £72m Hojlund is already on board makes little to no sense.

To that end, Guirassy could be a real bargain coup given that he reportedly has a £15m release clause in his contract.

The 28-year-old has notched 27 goals in as many games in all competitions this season and was recently spoken about as a genuine United target.

Guirassy would also be a nice foil for Hojlund, if United opted to play a front two instead of a normal three.

He also has the ability to run the channels, which could be even more important given reports that United are willing to potentially offload Marcus Rashford this summer.

CHELSEA – Jonathan David (Lille)

This is one link that refuses to go away as Todd Boehly looks to provide more competition for Nicolas Jackson and the injury-plagued Christopher Nkunku in Chelsea’s attack.

Once again, much will depend on whether Mauricio Pochettino is still at the helm beyond the end of the current campaign, with the Blues boss known to be a fan of the Canada international.

David has been a prolific force in French football ever since he moved to Lille from Gent in 2020, scoring 82 goals in 180 appearances.

While not the biggest, he is a real handful in attack and has pace to burn for teams that like to play on the counter.

The 24-year-old is also versatile enough to play as a No.10 or out wide so could fit into any system Chelsea play, whoever the manager is.

His current fee stands at around £52m, which is significantly cheaper than previous first-choice target Victor Osimhen.

The only issue for Boehly is that he will have to offload players first this summer in order to satisfy PSR.

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WEST HAM – Ivan Toney (Brentford)

This match-up looks more and more likely as the weeks count down until the summer transfer window opens.

Interest from some of the top Premier League clubs in the England man appears to eased a little, given he has notched just four times in 14 games since returning from his FA ban.

There is another manager scenario at play here, with David Moyes expected to move this summer and potentially be replaced by Sporting boss Ruben Amorim.

That led to West Ham links to Sporting forward Gyokeres, but the Swede will almost certainly be out of the Hammers’ price range while Toney could now be available for around £40m.

Having Toney operate through the middle would provide more of a goal threat than Michail Antonio and be a perfect compliment to the more prolific Jarrod Bowen on the wing.

It just remains to be seen whether the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham or United still hold a genuine interest in the 28-year-old – especially at that price point.