‘Transfer in winter’: Journalist understands Liverpool are in the running for £30m striker

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Liverpool are looking at Noah Okafor, according to one journalist. The player could leave RB Salzburg in January.

This comes from Florian Plettenberg. The Sky Germany journalist believes Liverpool are one of a few parties interested in Noah Okafor.

Okafor, who has 10 goals for RB Salzburg this season, could apparently leave in the winter. The World Cup will play a factor, it seems.

“A transfer in winter [for Okafor] is possible!” said Plettenberg on Twitter. “No negotiations now but there’s is an interest from clubs like Manchester City, Liverpool & AC Milan.

“Been told that [Manchester] United is not in. World Cup very important now. Price tag could be around €35-40m. Top season with Salzburg so far.”

That’s roughly £30m minimum, then. However, Plettenberg’s phrasing suggests the tournament this winter could raise that significantly.

Liverpool chase Noah Okafor

Okafor, 22, only has ~700 minutes in the Austrian Bundesliga this season, making his seven-goal haul impressive. Throw in the assist and he’s averaging output roughly every 90 minutes.

But it’s the Champions League where Okafor will have caught the eye. Okafor grabbed goals against Dinamo Zagreb, Chelsea and Milan across the group stage – something that’s naturally going to impress.

Another impressive stat is that Okafor’s numbers aren’t boosted by a couple of braces or a hattrick. He hasn’t actually scored more than once in a single game this season. It’s a trait that is far more impressive than it initially sounds – his consistency is fantastic.

Okafor had a spell of six straight games with a goal earlier this season. That extended to seven out of eight, too. While he hasn’t been quite that consistent since, the forward clearly finds ways to score against a variety of opponents.

And so if Liverpool do want to boost their attack, Okafor could be a good option. He’s young but has Champions League experience and a knack for goals.

The only ‘problem’ is that Liverpool definitely don’t need a striker in January. They struggle to get all of their forwards on the pitch as it is and £30m would be far better spent going towards a midfielder.