David Ornstein: Nicolas Jackson might be a more realistic candidate for Liverpool if he were not at Chelsea, Richard Hughes likes him | OneFootball

Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes is presently prioritising finding a top No 9 for the Anfield club and Senegal international striker Nicolas Jackson might be a more realistic candidate if he were not a Chelsea player, according to The Athletic journalist David Ornstein.

Hughes admires the former Villarreal star having liked and wanted him when he was the technical director at Bournemouth, but bringing him to Liverpool looks tricky and other options are being considered.

Chelsea reportedly want £100 million for Jackson, and the Reds would be unwilling to do business for such a fee.

They have communicated their interest to Newcastle United to do a deal in the region of £120m for Alexander Isak, but the Magpies do not want to sell the Sweden international striker.

Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike is also an option for the Merseyside club as they are desperate to bolster their attacking ranks and could sell Darwin Nunez.

More names are expected to emerge in the coming days and weeks as Liverpool look to strengthen their striking options for the Premier League title defence next season, and they are ready to break the bank for a new number 9.

The Reds need a prolific goalscorer as their main striker if they want to boost their chances of winning the Champions League, and Isak would have been perfect for them.

He has proven himself over the last two seasons, bagging 52 goals and eight assists within the last 24 months across all competitions, but even £150m may not be enough to tempt Newcastle into doing business, and Ekitike could be a more realistic option.

The 23-year-old Frenchman notched 22 goals and 12 assists in 48 games last season in the Bundesliga, and he could prove to be a solid signing for Liverpool given his huge potential.