Don’t Fear The Jota: Liverpool are still desperate for a No. 9

Muhammad Butt

Updated: 3 Apr 2025 06:45 CDT
6 min read

Diogo Jota Darwin Nunez Arne Slot Liverpool — © IMAGO

Diogo Jota was back to his match-winning best as he took down Everton.

It was just before the hour mark of the Merseyside Derby when Jota scored his first goal since January, a weaving run followed by one of his classic incisive finishes, to deliver Liverpool victory over rivals Everton.

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Liverpool fans will want to rejoice at Jota getting back on the score sheet, and rightfully so because quite apart from beating Everton, the confidence he'll gain from that goal will likely lead to a run of goalscoring form.

And Liverpool badly need Jota to have a run of goalscoring form.

Darwin Nunez too. The Uruguayan has also scored just once since the middle of January and has cut a largely useless figure at the head of Liverpool's attack.

Current ETV

Diogo Jota

F (C)

Liverpool

Diogo Jota

F (C)

Liverpool

ETV Range

€53.5M - €65.4M

This has mostly been true all season, with Jota having just 9 goals across all competition and Darwin notching just 7.

Now, this hasn't been too much of an issue as Mohamed Salah's glorious performances have been more than covering up for the nonsense Liverpool have been serving up-front.

But after an incredible February where he scored in eight consecutive games, Salah's goals have dried up. He scored just twice in March (three times if you include Egypt's win over Ethiopia) and has looked a shadow of himself as Liverpool were knocked out of the Champions League by PSG and then lost the Carabao Cup final to Newcastle.

© IMAGO - Jota has scored just once since the middle of January.

Jota and Darwin: not good enough

Remember: in that entire time period Jota and and Darwin contributed precisely one single goal. Two after the derby win.

That is simply not good enough from both Darwin and Jota. And while Jota has a valid excuse in that he's been injured, that's not a new story for Reds fans to be hearing.

Jota is frequently injured. He just does not have the physical frame to play as a striker in the Premier League. Injuries will always happen to derail him, and he will always take time to get back into goalscoring form.

And then there's Darwin, a once-terrifying prospect turned into football's greatest cheerleader. Darwin's a lovely bloke and will press and work all day long, but his quality in front of goal has been reduced to mere hypotheticals.

© IMAGO - Darwin Nunez has also scored just once since the middle of January.

Part of the reason Salah's assist numbers have jumped so much this season is because Liverpool haven't used Darwin as much so Salah hasn't had to see the chances he's created go to waste (but don't go thinking Luis Diaz is the answer either he can be just as wasteful either from the wing or in that central striker role).

Sure, Darwin still has value with his pressing, his charm, and his pumping the crowd up. If xCP (Expected Crowd-Pumps) were a stat, Darwin would be up there with Europe's finest!

xCP (Expected Crowd Pumps) 2024/25* - Europe's top 5 leagues

NAME	xCP per-90
Jude Bellingham	7.2
Vini Jr.	6.5
Darwin Nunez	4.9
Lautaro Martinez	4.7
Matteo Guendouzi	4.1
Gavi	3.8

(*this is a joke stat)

But it's not. And so he isn't.

And while Jota has a sniper's eye he's also too hurt too often to properly wield his rifle.

Liverpool vs Barcelona vs Real Madrid

Compare Liverpool's top goalscorers across all competitions this season with Barcelona, their only real rival for the crown of best team in Europe this season (at least up to now).

Liverpool have Salah with 32 goals, of course. A monstrous season. Then Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz with 16 and 13 respectively, which are decent totals. But that's it in terms of double figures. Jota is next with 9 goals, then Dominik Szoboszlai and Darwin with 7.

Meanwhile Barcelona have Lewandowski on 38 goals, a similar total to Salah. Then there's Ferran Torres with 16 goals and Lamine Yamal with 13. Just like Gakpo and Diaz! Next are midfielders like Dani Olmo (8 goals) and Pedri (5 goals).

The difference? Barcelona's secondary goalscorer, Raphinha, has 27 goals in all competitions. That's more than Jota and Darwin combined. Hell even if you throw Diaz into the mix it only comes out to 29! Raphinha is producing about as many goals as three Liverpool players combined.

© IMAGO - Raphinha is having a monstrous season in front of goal.

Goodness, even Real Madrid, who have had far from an ideal season in terms of performances, have Vini Jr bagging 18 as their secondary goalscorer (with Kylian Mbappe's 32, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo's 13 all lining up with the Liverpool scorers).

Liverpool are basically missing a whole secondary goalscorer. For then to be where they are in the Premier League is a massive testament to Arne Slot and Mohamed Salah because they should not be this good with those goals missing.

But they need those goals. If not for this season then certainly for next as they look to win more trophies, or at least not embarrass themselves as they did against PSG and Newcastle.

This means that they need to sign a striker (given their primary goalscorer is a winger - which is the inverse of most clubs). As a matter of urgency.

But who?

The strikers Liverpool should sign

They could go for the obvious and sign Victor Osimhen. The 27 year-old Nigerian's only request is that he be paid between €11-12 million, a request the Reds could accomodate especially as signing Osimhen would prevent rivals Man Utd from doing so.

© IMAGO - Victor Osimhen was born to score goals.

Liverpool could be obvious and go for Viktor Gyokeres at Sporting CP. The Swedish hitman has 42 goals in 42 games this season (85 in 92 all told in Portugal) and plays with the same muscular style as Darwin just, y'know, with goals too.

They could head on over to the Bundesliga and look to pick up someone like Jonathan Burkardt, the 24 year-old German striker with 15 league goals this season.

STATS

Jonathan Burkardt

F (C)

Mainz 05

Jonathan Burkardt

F (C)

Mainz 05

23

Games
15

Goals
2

Assists

Or Hugo Ekitike, who has 13 and at just 22 years-old has major potential to explode. Then there's Benjamin Sesko, who only has 10 goals but with a technical and physical profile to die for (ok, yeah, Sesko sounds a bit Darwin-y).

There's strikers out there! Go get them, because you need them!

-Victor Osimhen

-Viktor Gyokeres

-Jonathan Burkardt

-Hugo Ekitike

-Benjamin Sesko