Isak alternative: Liverpool could make August move for ‘iron spirit’ who wants out of current club | OneFootball

Liverpool could yet switch their attention to another centre-forward target in the final month of the summer transfer window if they’re unable to land Alexander Isak.

The Reds have seen an opening offer of £110m for the Sweden international turned down by Newcastle (The Athletic), with the player set to meet with St James’ Park officials this week regarding his future at the club.

ESPN pundit Jan Aage Fjortoft has claimed that ‘there is a feeling in the football community’ that the Premier League champions will ultimately sign the 25-year-old, although Richard Hughes has an alternative in mind if needed.

Liverpool considering potential Goncalo Ramos swoop

According to CaughtOffside, Liverpool are ‘assessing the possibility of a summer move’ for Goncalo Ramos as a ‘potential long-term addition’ if they fail to land Isak, who remains their priority in terms of centre-forward recruitment.

The 24-year-old is understood to be seeking an exit from Paris Saint-Germain due to his struggles to break into Luis Enrique’s starting XI, with his situation at the Parc des Princes also alerting the likes of Newcastle, Manchester United and Aston Villa, along with Serie A suitors.

The Champions League holders are open to selling the Portuguese forward but are looking to recoup as much of their initial €65m (£56.5m) outlay for him as possible if they’re to let him leave permanently. They could also facilitate a loan move with an option to buy.

(Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

Ramos could be the perfect alternative if Liverpool fail to land Isak

Ramos would certainly come a lot cheaper than Isak if Liverpool were to get him, and it appears that PSG wouldn’t put up as much resistance for their player as Newcastle would for theirs.

The striker netted a memorable hat-trick when selected ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal’s 6-1 thrashing of Switzerland at the 2022 World Cup, and he’s still scored 19 times for his club over the past year despite making just 13 starts across Ligue 1 and the Champions League (Transfermarkt).

Enrique has hailed the 24-year-old’s ‘iron spirit’ and ‘faultless ambition’ and acknowledged that the forward ‘deserves more game-time’ (GFFN), and only the phenomenal competition for starting berth in the Parisians’ attack has precluded him from featuring much more regularly.

A deeper dive into Ramos’ underlying performance metrics also paints a positive picture. As per FBref, he ranked among the top 9% of centre-forwards in Europe’s five main leagues last season with his 90-minute averages for non-penalty goals (0.77) and xG (0.98), shots taken (4.36) and pass completion (78.2%).

Isak is undoubtedly the striker that Liverpool most want, and defensive injuries should make reinforcements at the back a priority this month as well, but the wantaway PSG attacker could definitely be one to watch if an opportunity arises for the Reds to pounce in August.