The recent news that Alexandre Pato is poised to join Liverpool is being met with tentative excitement at best. Between underachieving at AC Milan and suffering a slew of injuries, Pato has not been at his best since winning the Serie A title in the 2010-11 season.
In Liverpool Pato could potentially find a place to resurrect his career – but doing so might come at the expense of the rest of the team if Reds manager Jurgen Klopp can’t work his magic quickly enough.
However, with a deal believed to be close, it’s worth taking a look at who else is available for Klopp to consider before spending too much on a player who may not see the field nearly as much as he expects.
Here are the six strikers Klopp should look into instead of Alexandre Pato:
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6. Saido Berahino, West Bromwich Albion
After a summer of discontent for the West Brom star, the two sides mutually agreed to keep things the way they were. However, if Klopp can make a solid pitch to Berahino’s people, he could get one of the Premier League’s most dangerous strikers to play alongside Benteke.
5. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
The Klopp connection is there from their time together at Borussia Dortmund from 2013 until Klopp’s departure earlier this year. Whether Liverpool will be able to afford the Gabon superstar remains to be seen though – Borussia will likely demand a small fortune for his services.
4. Jamie Vardy, Leicester City
He’s the hottest striker in the Premier League and the runaway favorite to win the Golden Boot at his current scoring pace. However, with Leicester City trying to make a magical run at Champions League qualification and even a Premier League title win, the club may not sell Vardy for any price!
3. Didier Drogba, Montreal Impact
With 12 goals in just 13 appearances in MLS, Drogba has proved that he is immune to ageing and still just as dominant now as in years past.
While it might be a tough sell for Klopp to convince the former Chelsea scoring machine to play against his former team, money talks and Klopp has plenty to spend, particularly if the Ivorian forward is considering a loan move away from Canada during the offseason.
2. Mauro Icardi, Inter Milan
After a 22-goal season in Italy, Icardi was already been linked with a move to Anfield but nothing materialized over the summer. Now that Klopp is in charge, perhaps the leading scorer from Serie A last season will take the offer more seriously. Recent reports indicate there is significant interest in making that a reality.
1. Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto FC
The former Juventus midfielder has found new life as a star forward in MLS, leading the division in both goals and assists while shattering the record for decisive contributions with 38 – including two hat tricks in less than a month.
If Klopp wants to open the wallet for a scoring machine in his prime, there may not be a better option in the world than Giovinco right now.