Liverpool are drawing up their transfer plans for the upcoming transfer windows after going through an underwhelming market in the summer.
The Reds want to reward Arne Slot’s solid start to life as Liverpool manager with proper backing in the winter window when they want to sign a defensive midfielder.
Liverpool are also looking at long-term solutions for their defence with both Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson on the wrong side of 30 at the moment.
The Merseyside giants are looking at several young defenders and are said to have identity priority targets who could replace or succeed Van Dijk in the starting eleven in the long term.
However, Liverpool are also looking at the striker market as Darwin Nunez’s erratic form has continued to worry decision-makers this season.
The Uruguayan has lost his place in the starting eleven with Slot often preferring to use Diogo Jota as the central striker in his team.
But his form is not deterring other clubs from looking at him and he is on the shortlist of one of the glamour names of European football.
The Liverpool striker features on Barcelona’s shortlist
Barcelona want to sign a striker next summer as the long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski.
Sporting director Deco and the rest of the recruitment team have drawn up a shortlist of strikers from the Premier League.
It has been claimed that Manchester City’s Erling Haaland is their top target but according to the Sun, they have fall-back options.
Liverpool forward Nunez is one of the names who features high on the wishlist of Barcelona if they fail to snare Haaland away from the Etihad.
Nunez has been watched by Barcelona since his days in Portugal and he remains an admired forward in their recruitment team.
He is seen as a marquee signing who could be more open to a move to Spain than Haaland at this stage.
Nunez is believed to be frustrated by the lack of first-team action under Slot and could be keen to move on from Anfield next summer.
Liverpool are likely to demand a big fee if they are to receive an approach for the striker given they agreed to sign him for €100m from Benfica in 2022.
Newcastle United star Alexander Isak is also on the shortlist of strikers that the Catalan giants have drawn up.
