The race for a striker is hotting up – who is still available?
WITH a month to go until the start of the English Premier League football, the race for a striker is hotting up.
Chelsea have been quick off the mark in signing both Liam Delap from Ipswich and Joao Pedro from Brighton, but the likes of Newcastle, Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal are still waiting to land their man.
With numerous clubs being linked to numerous players and some moving for the same target, it would be easy to lose track of who is moving where and when.
BBC Sport tries to make sense of the search for a frontman.
Almost off the market
Viktor Gyokeres: (Sporting)
The Sporting striker has been linked with a number of clubs this summer but the 27-year-old former Coventry player may soon be off the market.
Arsenal are expecting to seal a £63.5m deal for the Sweden forward imminently after his 97 goals in 102 appearances in Portugal.
The Gunners have been in the market for a while but, with Gyokeres set to join, they will soon be out of the striker market.
Victor Osimhen: (Napoli)
Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea are among those that have been heavily linked with the Nigeria striker, but it appears his future could soon be sorted.
His parent club Napoli are in talks with Turkish side Galatasaray, who he spent last season on loan with, and the forward is reportedly keen on a return to Turkey.
Failure to come to a financial agreement though could quickly alert other suitors, with the situation expected to come to a head in the next few days.
In 2022-23 the 26-year-old helped Napoli win their first Italian title since 1990. He missed them repeating the feat this season but had a prolific spell on loan at Galatasaray.
Wanted men
Alexander Isak: (Newcastle United)
Newcastle’s message is that Isak is not for sale but you get the feeling this isn’t the last we will hear about his future.
Liverpool are interested in the 25-year-old Sweden forward but know they would have to break the British transfer record to even stand a chance of prising him from the Magpies.
BBC Sport understands a deal for Isak would cost up to £130m.
Hugo Ekitike: (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Newcastle and Liverpool have both made their interest known in the 23-year-old Frenchman over the past few days.
Chelsea were another club seriously interested in him but, having recently signed Delap and Joao Pedro, they are unlikely to move for another frontman, unless there is movement out.
Ekitike has enjoyed the best goalscoring season of his career, scoring 15 goals and adding eight assists for Frankfurt to help them finish third in the Bundesliga and earn a Champions League place.
Newcastle have had an initial £70m bid turned down by the Germans and don’t see the striker as a replacement for Isak. He is also one of a number of strikers Liverpool are looking at.
Bryan Mbeumo: (Brentford)
Manchester United’s move for the Brentford forward has gone a bit quiet in recent weeks.
But those at Old Trafford hope Mbeumo’s protracted move for more than £60m is completed before Ruben Amorim and his squad set off on their pre-season travels at the weekend.
Tottenham are also interested in the 25-year-old Cameroon international but are yet to make a bid, while there are several Champions League clubs on the continent watching his situation closely.
Yoane Wissa: (Brentford)
Tottenham are also exploring a move for another Brentford forward.
BBC Sport understands the Bees have been made aware of their London rivals’ interest in the 28-year-old, in a deal that could reunite the forward with his former manager Thomas Frank, now in charge at Spurs.
Wissa, who scored 20 goals last season, courted major interest from Premier League clubs in recent months, Nottingham Forest failing to sign the DR Congo international in January.
Liverpool are another club monitoring Wissa’s situation, but have other preferred targets to explore first.
Ones to watch
Benjamin Sesko: (RB Leipzig)
The Slovenian 22-year-old looked as though he could have been heading to Arsenal this summer but, with Gyokeres now the Gunners’ priority, that move is off the table.
He has also been linked with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool.
If they sign Mbeumo, Manchester United would need to sell to fund a potential move for a striker.
Sesko signed a five-year contract this time last season and it has been reported Leipzig would want up to £85m for him. Don’t rule out a move from one of Europe’s top clubs later in the window.
Ollie Watkins: (Aston Villa)
Arsenal made a late bid for England striker Ollie Watkins in the final few days of the winter transfer window, with Aston Villa refusing the reported £40m offer.
A striker a number of clubs are understood to be keeping an eye on, with both Liverpool and Manchester United known to be admirers.
Villa would not be keen to sell the 29-year-old, but could a late substantial bid twist their arm?
Jean-Philippe Mateta: (Crystal Palace)
Another striker who has been linked with a move away this summer, but Crystal Palace are determined to keep hold of him.
Numerous clubs have shown an interest in the Frenchman but the Eagles are hoping he will sign a new long-term deal, with his current contract expiring in 2027.
The 28-year-old was a standout performer in Oliver Glasner’s side last season, scoring 17 goals in all competitions as Palace won the FA Cup – their first major trophy.
Nicolas Jackson: (Chelsea)
Jackson was Chelsea’s first-choice striker last season but the arrival of Joao Pedro and Delap does raise a few questions.
The 24-year-old Senegal international scored 10 Premier League goals in 2024-25 and would likely have significant interest from elsewhere if he was made available.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin: (Everton)
A free agent after his Everton deal expired this summer.
Newcastle and Manchester United have been linked with the 28-year-old England forward. – BBC Sport/Sports Reporter
The post The race for a striker is hotting up – who is still available? appeared first on herald.