Scouting Forwards: And the Winner Is
The final instalment of a five-part series dedicated to finding a new forward Liverpool.
We made it. This is the last post of my Scouting Forwards series, with the previous four instalments available to read below.
So who should Liverpool sign, then?
I’m going to summarise the case for each individual player in this post. We’ve narrowed the shortlist down to 12 names, but each player has pros and cons attached to his profile.
First up, Yankuba Minteh.
Yankuba Minteh
Minteh looks really promising. He’s still a teenager, and he’s just thrived under a certain Arne Slot for a full season, while on loan from Newcastle United. The Gambian scored ten goals and registered five assists in the Eredivisie, starting exactly half of Feyenoord’s matches.
He looks like a keen presser in the numbers, and he also likes to dribble and carry more than your typical forward. Minteh is left footed, too, unlike 75 per cent of players in the Premier League, and he’s pretty fast.
However, he’s still very raw. Probably too much for Liverpool, who should always be challenging for the biggest honours. He’s also got a contract until 2028, so although the Magpies need to sell players, you won’t get a massive bargain here.
He’s definitely one to monitor for the future, but if you want to make an addition this summer, you look elsewhere.
Marcus Edwards
A former Tottenham Hotspur player, Marcus Edwards is one of the few English players who is thriving abroad. Like Minteh, he’s also left footed and plays on the right of a front three, managed by Rúben Amorim.
Edwards is rapid off the mark. He reaches his top speed very quickly. He reminds me of Aaron Lennon in that sense, small and explosive. He’s a decent dribbler and likes his carries, but he’s also got an incisive pass in his locker, unlike Minteh.
He’s 25 years old and with two years left on his deal, he’s probably ready for that jump now, but if his rumoured £60m release clause is accurate, I think that’s too steep.
I’m also not sure he’s quite Liverpool level. He’s never posted more than 12 scoring returns in a league campaign, and he just about played enough minutes for Sporting CP to make the grade, even though he didn’t suffer any injuries last term.
Liverpool should be poaching Sporting’s best player, not someone who isn’t even a guaranteed starter.
Michael Olise
This guy is the favourite for many people. Whenever we see him on the pitch in the Premier League, he tears it up. Ten goals and six assists last season, although his non-penalty xG was only about 5.5, so he definitely finished well and that isn’t guaranteed to continue.
Another left footer who favours the right, Michael Olise is creative, and he shoots a lot nowadays. In the season just gone, he averaged about 3.9 efforts per 90. In every season before that, he’s averaged about 1.6 per 90. Is he coming of age?
He can dribble, and he’s still only 22, but this one just feels like a long shot to me. His release clause is rumoured to be £60m, and he’s currently earning 100k per week for Crystal Palace. In other words, this would be a big deal. A Chelsea, Manchester City or Manchester United type deal, to be honest.
He’s not that versatile, either. You want him on the right, always, which is where you want Mohamed Salah, too, who is staying next term. Keeping both of them happy could be a challenge for Slot, although Olise makes a pretty great contingency plan for the eventual loss of our star man, who turned 32 earlier this month.
Jamal Musiala
I’m not going to spend much time on Jamal Musiala. Incredible player, and still just 21. I’m not sure he’s that much of a wide player per se, but he does play there sometimes and he’s one of the best attackers on the planet, no doubt.
You definitely keep tabs on his situation with two years left on his contract and Bayern Munich looking a bit weird from top to bottom, but they aren’t going to sell him this summer. Even if he announced he was definitely leaving in 2026, they would still probably keep him for now.
Truly elite, but in the current window? Nope.
Omar Marmoush
The next Salah, apparently. It’s probably because he’s Egyptian, but he does have some decent output. Last term, he scored 12 — including two penalties — and registered six assists in the Bundesliga for Eintracht Frankfurt.
He also started 27 matches, and shouldered more of the load for his team’s xG than every other player on our list except for Olise, who probably benefited from playing far less often. Marmoush is a good age at 25, and he’s right footed but can play in different spots up front.
A slight concern relates to his output before last season. He’s never really done that much and I’m not sure why as I haven’t followed his career. He also only moved to Frankfurt — albeit on a free transfer — just 12 months ago. He’s good, but again, we’re talking about Liverpool here.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, then. I’ve got two favourites on this list, and he’s one of them. Ticks all the boxes. Aged 23, built like a number nine, Champions League experience, and only earning about 30k per week in Naples.
Kvaratskhelia is excellent on the dribble and loves the wide areas unlike some other players left in this process. And on top of his dynamic one-on-one skills, he’s got output. In the season just gone, he scored 11 and registered six assists in Serie A, and in the campaign before, he scored 12 and got ten assists.
The Georgian forward plays every week, and he takes tons of shots. Many of them aren’t from optimal locations, but he’s still very active. Another perk worth mentioning is his two-footed nature, so he can go both ways.
In terms of downsides, my big concern is Luis DÃaz. If he’s staying at Anfield, I’d be amazed to see Kvaratskhelia arrive. Especially considering you’ve also got Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota who can play on that side. But Kvaratskhelia is four years younger than DÃaz and does more in the final third.
Napoli won’t want to lose him, but it’s probably either him or Victor Osimhen up for sale this summer. You never know with that club, but the player is brilliant. If he’s attainable, surely you pick up the phone?
Bryan Mbeumo
This guy wouldn’t be the most exciting addition, but he might be the most sensible. It just feels like such an easy win. Sometimes, the answer is right there in front of you.
Bryan Mbeumo is proven in England, he’s still just 24, he plays tons of minutes, his contract expires in two years, and his wage is about 45k per week. He’s fast enough to threaten in behind, and his output is decent considering he’s only been playing for Brentford.
In his debut season on English shores, he scored 15 and registered seven assists as a teenager in the Championship. If he represented a dominant side like Liverpool, I think he’d post similar numbers to that.
He’s also left footed, so there’s your Salah replacement, and he’s versatile enough to play in different spots. Mbeumo isn’t that easy on the eye when he’s in possession, but that’s why you use data. His product matters, nothing else.
I’m not sure if he’s really a true winger who loves the flanks, but he does feel like a bit of a no brainer.
Johan Bakayoko
Johan Bakayoko has just been a key player for arguably the best-performing team in Europe. PSV Eindhoven prevented Slot from winning a second consecutive Eredivisie title with Feyenoord, and they did so with incredible performances.
Bakayoko was their Salah, in many ways. Actually, he’s probably a bit more Bukayo Saka. A left footer who plays on the right, and a player with good output who loves to dribble.
He scored 12 times and posted nine assists in the Eredivisie. The Belgian is dynamic and unpredictable, although I’m not sure he’s quite Premier League fast. I doubt he’s quick enough to threaten in behind in England.
He’d likely be attainable for a reasonable price in terms of both transfer fee and wages, but he’s a bit less ready than some of the other names in this process. He’s only 21, don’t forget. I do like the player, but I wonder if this summer is too early for him.
Anthony Gordon
Along with Kvaratskhelia, this guy is probably our best option for me. He shouldn’t be attainable, but Newcastle need to sell players and he’s only got two years left on his contract at 60k per week, so you never know.
He’s fast, industrious, direct and his output last term was great despite offering plenty of width for the Toon. The Magpies struggled in the Premier League, yet he still posted double figures in both goals and assists.
He’s also just 23, he wins penalties, and he played more minutes last season than everybody else left in this process, so he’s always available, as shown below.
Gordon can play on both flanks or through the middle, he’s homegrown and he’s Scouse, which counts for something, right? And although he favours the left side, I don’t think DÃaz would have to leave for us to sign him. He’s got that versatility.
The transfer fee would be expensive, but his current wage is fair and by signing him, you would be weakening a rival, too. I’d be very surprised if anything happened here but like Kvaratskhelia, surely it’s worth a try?
Rayan Cherki
Rayan Cherki feels very Musiala to me. Sure, he can play out wide — and he’s two footed, too — but his best spot is probably central, and Liverpool have got lots of central options.
Cherki is being hailed as the new Eden Hazard. He isn’t as good, but the story of emerging in France as a dribbling progressor of the ball who doesn’t actually score that much is a definite parallel.
If Harvey Elliott was playing in France, I think he’d be posting similar numbers to Cherki. They aren’t worlds apart, but the latter does dribble a lot more, and he prefers the left side unlike the Reds youngster.
The fact his contract is expiring in 2025 is very interesting. A top club in Europe will want him, no doubt, but I’m on the fence as to whether Liverpool will. He’s only 20 and could become elite, but I’d be surprised if he’s at Anfield next term.
Edon Zhegrova
The lowest earner left in this process, Edon Zhegrova is 25 years old and he’s got two years left on his contract. This guy is a very tricky dribbler, and he’s another left footer to bare in mind. Where are these guys coming from?
Zhegrova plays for Lille in France, and he’s just scored six goals and posted six assists in Ligue 1. I get Wilfried Zaha vibes from him a little bit. He’s that mid-table maverick who can be a talisman for a Europa League team, but I’m not sure he’s one for us.
I actually think he’d be a great Olise replacement for Palace to consider, but he might want to go a little higher if he does move. Spurs, maybe?
Pedro Neto
If it wasn’t for injuries, Pedro Neto could have finished with the gold medal in this process. He’s undeniably good. Rapid, incredible at carrying his team up the field, loves the wide areas, and when he starts dribbling at you, he’s very difficult to manage.
The Portuguese forward is proven in England, his wage is modest, he’s 24 years old and given his left-footed preference, he’s a solid heir to Salah’s throne.
His output could be better, but the fact he’s playing for Wolves has to be considered. Whenever he’s on the pitch, he’s quite clearly dangerous. But again, injuries.
Aside from one season in which he made 30 starts in 2020/21, he’s never amassed more than 18 starts — or 1,500 minutes — in a single league campaign. For context, Mbeumo is the same age as him, and he’s posted over 1,500 minutes in the last five consecutive seasons.
So before I conclude, I’d like to share some caveats. First of all, I conducted this experiment based on last season only. If you’re Liverpool, you would be stupid to do that.
Second, I focused on Europe’s top seven leagues. If you’re Liverpool, you scout the world. And third, I was probably a bit too harsh with some of my filters, but I had to do something to narrow down our options.
I’d also like to include some honourable mentions. Loïs Openda is great, but he didn’t make the list because he fell short of the dribbling grade. The same goes for Mohammed Kudus, who fell short with his xG but based on his time at Ajax, he would have been more than fine.
Overall, though, this was fun to do. My winners are probably Kvaratskhelia, Gordon and Mbeumo, but I’m looking forward to Michael Edwards proving me wrong.
This isn’t the end of this series. We’ll meet again when somebody eventually signs on the dotted line.
Great analysis! All the main candidates.. fascinating to see where they go..
It would be great for many reasons to get Gordon, otherwise, I see City or United doing so.