Liverpool can hit gold selling “deadly” star worth more than Salah & Trent

When we look back at the 2024/25 campaign, it won’t be remembered for Liverpool’s premature exit from the Champions League.

After such indomitable success in the group phase, Liverpool were rewarded for their first-place finish with an unsavoury meeting against Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16, arguably the toughest opponent possible.

But you’ve got to beat the best to be the best, as the maxim goes, and Liverpool can issue little complaint over their shootout agony, for PSG were well worth their victory over the two legs.

Anyhoo. Liverpool’s first campaign with Arne Slot at the helm will be remembered for winning the Premier League (fingers crossed). With nine matches to play, the Reds are 15 points clear at the top of the table. It’s turning into a procession.

However, Slot’s not one to forget a defeat and Liverpool’s Champions League defeat will rankle for some time.

It will also have confirmed in the Dutch coach’s mind – were it not already sealed – that Liverpool need a new striker. But will it be Alexander Isak?

Will Liverpool sign Alexander Isak?

Back in December, Jamie Carragher hailed Isak for being “the best striker in the Premier League right now,” with his goalscoring quality, powerful running and intelligent movements proving too much for the division’s defences.

As you can see, Isak is indeed one of the best forwards across English football, though that man Mohamed Salah still stands mightily above him in the charts.

Though Isak would be a brilliant addition to Liverpool’s ranks, certainly an upgrade on the misfiring Darwin Nunez, it’s been reported Newcastle will demand in excess of £150m for his signature this summer, with further Tyneside reports revealing Eddie Howe hasn’t received any inkling his talisman wants to leave.

Liverpool will be there, but their options stretch beyond that of one man, evidenced when the pursuit of Jude Bellingham was abandoned and an amalgamation of midfield talent was signed instead (Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo).

Whatever FSG do this summer, it’s clear a striker needs to be signed. With Nunez reportedly set to depart, Liverpool should have funds to invest, however sporting director Richard Hughes may want to think about selling Diogo Jota too.

Liverpool need to cash in on Diogo Jota

Liverpool may lift some silverware by the end of the season, but there’s going to be plenty going on this summer, especially with Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk’s contract quandaries still unresolved.

Although selling both Nunez and Jota would be something of a bold move, opening space for not one but two new centre-forwards, it might be worth the hassle. Both stars have flattered to deceive for much of the campaign and Slot needs to stamp his design on Liverpool’s first team.

Jota, typically regarded as one of the most clinical players in the Premier League, has cut a frustrated figure in recent weeks, going eight games without a goal after suffering more injury misfortune. His interminable fitness problems finally appear to be wearing him down.

With only eight goals all season, the one-time Wolverhampton Wanderers talent admitted “I don’t feel my best” at the moment, toiling to little avail.

And anyway, the Portugal international is entering the penultimate year of his £140k-per-week deal. He’s still worth a hefty figure at 28, but if his fitness problems and loss of potency in front of goal persist, Liverpool might find themselves taking a far more minimal fee.

According to Football Transfers, Jota has actually been deduced to be worth about £50m in the current market, which makes an interesting comment on his underlying quality, even if he’s out of sorts at the moment.

Indeed, across the past 365 days, he ranks among the top 19% for shot-creating actions, the top 15% for progressive passes, the top 7% for progressive carries and the top 17% for assists per 90, as per FBref.

There’s a real player in there, evidenced by Jota currently boasting a worth higher than Salah (£25m) and Alexander-Arnold (£45m).

Of course, both stars are out of contract at the end of the season but this still highlights the high regard Jota is held in from a financial standpoint, with all but a select few Redmen towering above the £50m-rated Iberian, it may indeed be worth cashing in now that signs of regression are starting to show.

In fact, Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg revealed at the beginning of the week that “a reshaping of the squad is planned,” with Jota among the potential sales.

He’s been a terrific servant for the club, scoring 64 goals and providing 22 further assists across 173 outings, winning the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup twice, maybe making that thrice after the weekend. Of course, Liverpool are also 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League, all but set to lift the title in May.

Liverpool signed him from Wolves for £45m in September 2020 and he’s more than paid his due since, but Jota’s time may be coming to an end, with Slot set to welcome some fresh faces to freshen the ranks and continue the pursuit of glory.

BBC analyst Raj Chohan hailed him for his “deadly” goalscoring instinct in the past, but with that trait beginning to desert him, Liverpool indeed need to act before his lofty value starts to depreciate.

Liverpool need to prepare for the summer ahead, and if Hughes and co fail to tie down the likes of Salah and Trent to new deals, it may well be that Liverpool need to cash in on Jota as well as Nunez, for a spree of spending will be required to revamp the squad.

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