Arne Slot may have just given game away about 'outstanding' star who Liverpool could look to sign

If you are a forward player operating in Europe’s top five divisions, there’s a good chance Liverpool might come knocking.

Certainly, any striker regularly finding the back of the net might be on to their agents trying to engineer a switch to Anfield in the coming months. It’s one of the main positions that the Reds must strengthen.

Despite hurtling towards the Premier League title, the No.9 role has been a problem position. Diogo Jota started the campaign in good form but he inevitably suffered injury problems yet again. The Portugal international has had several issues and found himself out of form since returning to full fitness. Jota has netted only two goals in 2025 and his performance have been subdued.

However, although Jota has struggled, Darwin Nunez has remained out of favour. The 25-year-old has managed just eight starts en route to Premier League glory, with one in 2025. That was against basement side Southampton, while he missed the 2-1 win over West Ham because of illness.. In truth, it would be a surprise if Nunez remains a Liverpool player by the time the summer transfer window closes. It hasn’t worked out for him since arriving from Benfica almost three years ago.

Recent performances have underlined that Luis Diaz is far more suited to being operated on the left flank. That is the position head coach Arne Slot also prefers to utilise Cody Gakpo and the pair have bagged a combined 31 goals.

Liverpool are going to need to splash the cash for a new striker. There have been enough linked. From Alexander Isak to Hugo Ekitike, Benjamin Sekso to Joao Pedro, Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes will have their wish list drawn up. Isak would be the top target for plenty given his outstanding season for Newcastle United, firing 24 goals. However, the Magpies are likely to demand at least £100 million and will be even more reluctant to sell if Champions League qualification is achieved.

The Reds will also have significant competition for whoever they aim to sign. Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea are set to in the market for a new marksman.

A bonus would be recruiting someone with Premier League experience. It can take players who have never plied their trade in England a period to acclimatise and that is something that may not be afforded. There is anticipation that the 2025-26 title race will be much more fierce.

But perhaps Slot has an ace card up his sleeve. Perhaps he’s happy for Liverpool to be linked with a sundry of centre-forwards. Perhaps the data has already been crunched behind the scenes and the one who comes out on top is a leftfield options. Perhaps after the victory over West Ham United, Slot gave an insight into who he would like to recruit.

The Hammers left Merseyside feeling they were deserving of a share of the spoils. Their second-half performance would have warranted a draw, with Mohammed Kudus one of their chief attacking threats along with Lucas Paqueta. After the interval, Kudus’ pace and power caused Liverpool problems aplenty. The Ghana international was denied an equaliser when his shot was saved by Alisson Becker and he had an effort tipped over the bar in the opening 45 minutes.

After the game, Slot admitted that the 24-year-old was ‘almost uncontrollable’ when speaking to Sky Sports. Then he praised Kudas and Paqueta at his post-match press conference. Slot said: “I think they are 16th or 17th in the league but I can name you one or two players that could have easily played with us today in terms of quality. That is what the Premier League is about.

“They used them more and more in the second half, these two quality players, and they have more, but I think [Lucas] Paqueta and [Mohammed] Kudus were outstanding today, especially in the second half.”

Kudus enjoyed a fine maiden campaign at West Ham in 2023-24 following a £38 million move from Ajax. He recorded 18 goals and 10 assists in all competitions, with David Moyes’ men reaching the Europa League quarter-finals and finishing ninth in the Premier League.

This term, Kudus has not hit similar heights - which is a consequence of the London side’s lacklustre campaign. He has scored just three times and created a further three. Yet the Ghana international did cause Liverpool problems in a two-man attack. While Kudus is primarily a winger, he is capable and through the middle is a role where he played in fairly frequently at Ajax when Johnny Heitinga, part of Slot’s Anfield coaching staff, was in charge. In 2022-23, he fired 18 goals - with one against Liverpool in the Champions League at Anfield.

Kudus named Heitinga as one of the best coaches he’s worked with, having reunited at West Ham when the ex-Everton defender linked up with David Moyes.

“I felt very good under Heitinga,” Kudus told Voetbal Primeur. ”He is the best trainer I have had at Ajax. Apart from the training aspect, I also have a very high regard for him in terms of standards and values. Personally, I would have loved to work with him longer.

“He is a top trainer, and I really appreciated his efforts to make the players better at the time. When he took over for the rest of the season, he made an immediate impact. It got better.”

In truth, Slot may want an out-and-out striker who is the finished article to join Liverpool. But the Anfield supremo would also trust the recruitment team and the opinion of Heitinga if Kudus’ name was on the shopping list. He has a reported £85 million release clause but the Reds could still negotiate. Given West Ham’s position, the former Nordsjaelland man may want to move on to pastures new.

It might have been just an honest assessment from Slot. But given Kudus is a player who he’ll know from his time as Feyenoord boss, it may not be a major shock if the links re-emerge.