Toney back to the Premier League? Four targets Liverpool could sign to replace the injured Alexander Isak | OneFootball

Liverpool are down to just one recognised striker after Alexander Isak had surgery on a fracture in his left leg, ruling him out for at least a few months.

The £125m summer signing was impacted by Micky van de Ven as he scored Liverpool’s opening goal against Tottenham on Saturday and the Swede had to be immediately withdrawn with the club confirming he had an ‘ankle injury that included a fibula fracture’.

That has left Arne Slot with a rather threadbare front line as Hugo Ekitike represents the only recognised striker in the squad. Meanwhile, Cody Gakpo is injured, Mohamed Salah is at AFCON, Rio Ngumoha is still only 17 and the Dutch manager seems to not trust Federico Chiesa.

On a timing front, there are some positives from Slot with the January transfer window set to open in a little over a week and there are a few options the club could go down.

The first amongst them is Antoine Semenyo who, while not being a direct replacement for Isak, makes a lot of sense as a move.

For a start, he is relatively cheap given his well-publicised £65m release clause and is currently enjoying his best-ever Premier League season with eight goals and three assists.

At 25, he is coming into his peak years and can play on either the left or right wing, meaning someone like Gakpo can move centrally if needed.

Semenyo would also be a signing that makes sense for the future and not just now as he can still find a place in the team when Isak returns. The Ghana international has also been mooted as a long-term replacement for Salah.

But if Liverpool decide they are still in need of a proper number 9, there are again some options.

One name that has already been linked is lifelong Liverpool fan Ivan Toney, who left the Premier League for the money of Saudi Arabia in 2024 but has been linked with a return ever since.

Given it’s a World Cup year, playing in the Premier League would boost Toney’s chance of making the England squad but there is a very real price in doing that as Toney would not only have to give up his £400k a week tax-free salary but also reportedly pay around £14m in back taxes to HMRC.

From a club perspective, Toney at 29 is a player still with a lot of value and certainly capable of scoring in the Premier League, meaning it is not just a stopgap move.

Another option is Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic, who is no longer the wonderkid of Europe but instead a good but not great striker.

Since joining the Old Lady, he has scored 64 goals in 162 games but Juve have been trying to ship him out since the summer with his contract expiring next year.

That means Liverpool could come in with a low-ball offer around the £20m mark but even if that is enough to sign the 25-year-old, the player may not fancy being third choice if all strikers are fit and available.

Plus asking a player with no Premier League appearances to join in January is a tall order and one with few examples of success in the past. For that reason, Liverpool could instead take a look at Jean-Philippe Mateta.

The Palace striker has been one of the best forwards of the last 24 months and has seven goals this campaign and at 28, is in the peak of his career.

The only issue is Palace are unlikely to want to let their best striker go in January, especially with a busy fixture list ahead in the new year. A contract expiring in 2027 means the south London club have more leverage than they do with the likes of Marc Guehi so the Anfield bosses will have to pay a premium to sign the Frenchman.