Big club targets, value signings and wildcards – Looking at the summer’s big striker transfers
This could be an incredible summer transfer window when it comes to strikers moving clubs. So many clubs need a new goalscorer and there are a lot of players who will be looking for their next move.
One thing that often tends to happen during the March international window is that fans start to turn their attention to the summer transfer window, and wonder which player their club will sign.
And this promises to be an interesting summer, as there could be a number of high-profile strikers on the move as various clubs look to bolster their goalscoring options.
With that in mind we asked our friends at Opta to crunch the numbers for the following strikers: Julian Alvarez, Mateo Retegui, Liam Delap, Viktor Gyokeres, Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha, Alexander Isak, Jonathan David, Victor Osimhen, Dusan Vlahovic, Samu Aghehowa, Darwin Nunez and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
We have parsed through the data and grouped these players into tiers (not a ranking) based on what they might bring to a new team and what kind of clubs should be looking at signing them. All stats are for league play this season.
Every big club should be looking at them
Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting CP) – Notable stats: 30 goals (1st), 72.5 mins per goal (1st), 27.5% shot conversion (2nd), 59.1% big chance conversion (3rd), 48 dribbles completed (2nd) and 55.8% aerial duel success (2nd).
Alexander Isak (Newcastle United) – Notable stats: 24 goals + assists (3rd), 108.4 mins per goal (4th), 27.5% shot conversion (2nd), 57.7% big chance conversion (4th) and 158 touches in opposition box (2nd)
Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid) – Notable stats: 66.7% big chance conversion (1st), possession won 57 times (3rd)
It probably is not too surprising to see this trio in the first tier, as right now they are three of the best strikers in the world not called Harry Kane, Robert Lewandowski, Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe.
They are well-rounded players and bring a lot more to the team than just their goals, particularly Alvarez. No player has scored more goals than Gyokeres this season in Europe’s top seven leagues, while in the top five leagues Isak sits eighth.
For Gyokeres, the stats are dominant and demonstrate a complete No. 9 who is ready for his next move. Of course there will always be a risk with a player coming from a supposed smaller league but everything we have seen from Gyokeres suggests the biggest clubs in the world should be chasing him.
Isak is not quite as high when it comes to stats but he has the pedigree of having played in both La Liga and the Premier League. The problem with him is that whilst Gyokeres moving on from Sporting CP seems to be an open secret, Newcastle will fight hard to keep Isak and demand a massive fee. They will not be under the same kind of pressure to sell. Alvarez will also be tough to pry out of Atletico Madrid but financial pressure might end up forcing a big sale. One to keep an eye on.
The value buys
Jonathan David (Lille) – Notable stats: 17 goals + assists (6th), minutes per goal (6th), 24.6% shot conversion (4th), 27 chances created (4th), 82.1% passing accuracy (1st) and 137 touches in opposition area (4th)
Liam Delap (Ipswich Town) – Notable stats: 27 shots on target (7th), 32 dribbles completed (5th) and 103 aerial duels (3rd)
Two very different players. David is solid across the board and although he has not hit the heights of previous seasons he remains one of Europe’s best strikers. The big thing here is that his contract is up at the end of the season, so teams can save big on transfer fee. David is the perfect player for a team who do not have the up-front cash for a transfer fee and most clubs across Europe could benefit from a player of his calibre.
Delap remains relatively unproven and still ranks low amongst this group but the potential is huge. He could have been in a group lower down but the value comes from the potential of Ipswich being relegated. If that happens and Delap pushes for a move then a team could end up getting a bargain.
Bolts from the blue
Mateo Retegui (Atalanta) – Notable stats: 26 goals + assists (2nd), 78.8 mins per goal (2nd), 29% shot conversion (1st)
Matheus Cunha (Wolverhampton Wanderers) – 17 goals + assists (6th), 165 mins per goal (6th), 60% big chance conversion (2nd), 44 chances created (2nd), 1415 total touches (1st) and 110 times possession won (1st)
Two players here who are not without risk but are so dynamic that their potential is tantalising. With Retegui you are betting this is real. The fact that he is second on the list in terms of goals and assists is impressive after an up and down debut season in Europe last term with Genoa before his move to Atalanta. Strikers signed from Atalanta have not always replicated their form away from Bergamo but Retegui’s stats seem too good to ignore.
Cunha is absolutely relentless and ranking high for stats such as chances created, total touches and times possession won gives you a great idea of what kind of player he is. The concerns about Cunha are similar to Retegui, as to whether he can produce when playing for a club at the elite level, but the profile is undeniably different to some other players on this list. Both of these players could be great options for clubs who will be priced out of the top group.
The wildcard
Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray, on loan from Napoli) – Notable stats: 24 goals + assists (3rd), 87.5 mins per goal (3rd), 19.8% shot conversion (7th), 101 total shots (2nd), 140 touches in opposition box (3rd), 110 aerial duels won (2nd)
After a public transfer saga ended with a one-year loan to Galatasaray, it almost feels as if fans have forgotten about Osimhen. But it seems as if he will almost certainly move to England this summer thanks to a release clause in his Napoli contract. His stats (albeit like Gyokeres in a supposed weaker league) track favourably and he is still just 26. Could it all blow up spectacularly? Of course, but it also could prove to be an absolute steal of a move for a forward who we are not far removed from talking about as a £100m+ player.
Wait one more year?
Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig) – Notable stats: Five assists (2nd), 55.5% aerial duels (3rd),
Samu Aghehowa (FC Porto) – Notable stats: 18 goals + assists (5th), 101 mins per goal involvement (5th)
Two younger players of promise but have failed to set the world alight as might have been expected at the start of the season. It seems important to point out here that Sesko will only turn 22 this May. He has been around a while but is still young in terms of his development. Things are a little turbulent at both RB Leipzig and Porto but right now it feels as if both players need one more year to develop before making a big move.
Buy (or loan) low
Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus) – Notable stats: Nine goals (11th), 174.2 mins per goal (9th), 14.1% shot conversion (12th)
Darwin Nunez (Liverpool) – Notable stats: Five goals (12th), 192.4 mins per goal (11th), 16.7 shot conversion (11th)
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton) – Notable stats: Three goals (13th), 527.3 mins per goal (13th), 6.5% shot conversion (13th), 50.6 aerial success rate (4th)
The stats do not look great for any of these players who have all had various issues at their respective clubs. On top of that they are all about to enter the final year of their contracts and it feels as if their teams would rather cut ties and get something for them this year rather than lose them on a free in 2026.
All three feel like reclamation projects where a club will take a chance and see if they can get them back to their best with a change of scenery and approach. Between injuries and inconsistency in front of goal there is no player we can strongly recommend here. Proceed with caution.
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