Brendan Rodgers has cast doubt on Daniel Sturridge's status as Liverpool's first-choice striker by admitting that the club must sign a goalscorer this summer who can perform "at a top level every week".
Sturridge has appeared in only 18 of Liverpool’s 52 matches this season because of a variety of injuries. He will miss Saturday’s trip to West Bromwich Albion with the hip problem that forced him out of the FA Cup semi-final. Rodgers is unsure when the England international will next be available.
The 25-year-old's fitness record has compounded Liverpool's problems in attack, having sold Luis Suárez to Barcelona and failed to sign a replacement suited to Rodgers' preferred style of play. Finally remedying that glaring weakness is a priority for the Liverpool manager in the summer.
Main striker?
Asked whether Sturridge can be considered as Liverpool’s main striker for next season given his injury problems, Rodgers replied: “He’s not fit, and once he can show that consistency and fitness, you can see in his performance level that it’s a high one. But obviously he has missed a lot of the season, so we need to assess it. Either way, if he’s not available, we need to have that support.”
Rodgers added: “We have to hope with Daniel that this year was just an unlucky season and he can come back super-fit and super-strong, because he has an immense talent.”
Sturridge and Suárez scored 52 Premier League goals between them last season as Rodgers's team came close to winning Liverpool's first championship since 1990. This term the established forwards – Sturridge, Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini – have produced eight league goals in total. Raheem Sterling is Liverpool's leading scorer in the Premier League, with seven, as Liverpool's goal ratio has plummeted from an average of 2.66 per game last season to 1.47 per game this campaign.
“It’s not rocket science,” said Rodgers of Liverpool’s struggle to retain a Champions League place. “We haven’t scored enough goals this year. If the sequence goes on we are on course to be around 60 goals down on last year. That’s a huge amount.”
Potential targets
Liverpool were unable to land Alexis Sánchez, the manager’s first choice to replace Suárez, when they had the lure of Champions League football to offer potential targets last summer. The team are fifth in the Premier League this term, with six matches to play, but Rodgers believes Liverpool can compete against wealthier rivals in the transfer market regardless of where the team finish.
“They are not easy to find,” he said of proven goalscorers. “But that is our job. We have to find a way to attract them here. However long I am here or not, Liverpool is a huge attraction for any player, so that’s something we will fight hard to do in the summer. It can make a huge difference. If you look at teams who are successful, they will have that consistent striker, and what that gives the rest of team is crucial. You saw it here with Suárez – the impact that kind of striker can have.”
