Liverpool get florian wirtz and hugo ekitike transfer verdict as doubts remain

THE ECHO'S LIVERPOOL WRITER DISCUSS THE UNCERTAINTY SURROUNDING LIVERPOOL'S FRONTLINE DEPARTMENT AND HOW IT MIGHT LOOK BEFORE THE START OF NEXT SEASON 03:00, 30 May 2025 As

Liverpool head into the summer months as Premier League champions, attention will start to turn towards the transfer window. The period of player trading begins earlier than normal this

summer to accommodate clubs playing in the revamped and expanded Club World Cup in the United States, and that means June 1 will see teams able to add to their squads for a 10-day period.

The window then reopens for an extended stretch through to September 1 from June 16. So, will we see Liverpool looking to make an early splash or two when it begins on Sunday? The

ECHO's Liverpool writers have taken a closer look as to what might happen up top for Arne Slot's champions. READ MORE: Florian Wirtz has made the right decision choosing Liverpool

- Supporters will fall in loveREAD MORE: Wataru Endo confirms transfer stance as Liverpool eye up £224m spending spree - 'For now' PAUL GORST - WIRTZ PURSUIT EXCITING AND SHOULD

SHAPE ENTIRE WINDOW If there's one department that best encapsulates the uncertainty of an intriguing and exciting summer transfer window at Liverpool, then it is the forward line.

Article continues below Mohamed Salah's two-year contract extension, which was rubberstamped in April, means there is no longer any speculation over the 29-goal leading scorer's

next move but little else is concrete as things stand. Speculation linking Cody Gakpo to Bayern Munich is interesting but having just come off his best season so far as a Reds player, there

is unlikely to be much of an appetite to move on the Netherlands international, who registered 18 goals across all competitions for Arne Slot's team. Luis Diaz, in what has become

something of an annual tradition, is once more being named alongside Barcelona. Despite the ongoing chatter, Barca, with Raphinha and Lamine Yamal - with his new contract and all - would

appear to be set in their wide areas and recent words attributed to Diaz were encouraging for anyone hoping the Colombia international stays put. "Since the first day I arrived, I’ve

always been happy, calm, enjoying the football played at this great team," he told Caracol Radio earlier this month. "We’ll be talking about [a new contract], we’ll talk about it.

"For me, I’d stay however many years it takes. It also depends on the club, everything; these are details that are worked out separately. [I'm ] very calm, I’m happy and enjoying

the Premier League." With Florian Wirtz potentially offering more versatility from Bayer Leverkusen, the prospect of offloading Darwin Nunez appears closer than ever. The Uruguayan

striker started just one Premier League game in 2025, at home to Southampton, and found opportunities becoming more and more marginalised as the campaign went on. The Reds rebuffed interest

from Saudi Pro League clubs for Nunez in January in an effort to keep all hands on deck for the second-half push for the title and while that stance was ultimately vindicated, a return to

the table might see some movement. Does that then facilitate the move for a new No.9? Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike has been linked in recent days and it will be fascinating to see

what else Liverpool have up their sleeve if they can agree a deal with Bayer Leverkusen for Wirtz. Ekitike has had a superb season in the Bundesliga, with the powerful striker weighing in

with 15 goals for a Frankfurt side that will be playing Champions League football next term having finished third behind Leverkusen and champions Bayern Munich. One player whose future looks

likely to not be at Anfield is Alexander Isak, of Newcastle United. With the Magpies having qualified for the Champions League, the need to sell to meet Profit and Sustainability

Regulations in the Premier League is not as great as it once was and the Carabao Cup holders are desperate to retain their crown jewel. Couple that with the money that would need to be spent

to land the Sweden international at a time when Wirtz is also being pursued and it would be a fair assumption that Isak is no longer on the wishlist. In an ideal world, Diaz and Gakpo

remain on the books and allowing them to compete on the left side provides a depth of quality that is the envy of most Premier League clubs. The legendary Salah continues to operate off the

right side and the creative Wirtz could be either a false 9 or a more traditional central attacking midfielder. Diogo Jota remains the great mystery in all of this but even with Wirtz

potentially arriving for a club-record deal, a new striker perhaps should still be on the agenda this summer. THEO SQUIRES - WIRTZ OR NO WIRTZ, LIVERPOOL STILL NEED A NEW CENTRE-FORWARD

It's easy to forget Liverpool were comfortably the Premier League's leading goalscorers last season. Boasting 86 goals, Man City were the only other side to even register more than

70 (72 goals). In Mohamed Salah, the Reds boast the Premier League's reigning Golden Boot and Playmaker award winner. Alongside him, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo both netted double-figures

while the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister offered respectable returns from midfield. But that shouldn't mean Liverpool rest on their laurels, far from it. Their

attack still remains a clear area they need to improve, given the ongoing woes of their centre-forwards throughout the season. The fact that Diaz was preferred out of position at

centre-forward over Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota during the second half of the campaign says it all. The arrival of the versatile Florian Wirtz will help bolster the Reds ranks, and perhaps

lessen the creative responsibility on Salah's shoulders too. But Liverpool still need to field a prolific centre-forward alongside the German. With the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and

Manchester United also in all for new strikers this summer, and the elite pool somewhat shallow, it will be fascinating to see which forwards end up where. It will also be curious to see

which of Liverpool's current ranks end up moving on, considering they have all been the subject of transfer speculation in recent months. Salah stays put, of course, after signing a new

two-year contract. But with the Africa Cup of Nations looming in December and January - and the possibility of him missing up to 10 games - he will not be an ever-present next season. The

incoming Jeremie Frimpong is an option further forward at least in his absence, with Federico Chiesa learning the perils of being Salah's natural understudy this season. After three

rollercoaster seasons, it is surely time to cash in on Nunez. While he has made an impact at times, the club-record £85m signing cannot be relied on consistently and, having started just

once in the Premier League in 2025, seemingly isn't fancied by Slot. Liverpool will hope the Saudi Pro League renews January interest and comes knocking with a big-money offer. The rest

arguably comes down to sales. Supporters have wanted to see more of Chiesa all season long only for the Italian to remain on the fringes. If pre-season does not help resurrect his fortunes,

he will surely depart. If there is interest in Jota, it will be tempting to sell given his injury record. The 28-year-old is out of contract in 2027 and after a difficult campaign, it might

be a natural time to part ways. Diaz is also now 28 and out of contract in 2027, so a big-money offer could prove hard to resist. But as was the case last summer, Liverpool have no need to

push him out the exit door - especially after his most prolific campaign in a Reds shirt. Were Liverpool's resolve to be tested, perhaps they might revisit their own previous interest

in Anthony Gordon. Article continues below A new centre-forward has to be a priority for Liverpool after landing Wirtz and offloading Nunez. Throw in Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo, and

it's a strong starting point for Slot. But only once the futures of Diaz, Jota and Chiesa become clearer in the weeks ahead, can they plot the rest of their attacking ranks for next

season accordingly. Slot has repeatedly said he has happy with his current squad and confident it can improve and go again. But if there is an opening to improve on any of the aforementioned

trio, Liverpool will surely consider it.