Looking for a scorer? Center forward transfer targets from outside the Premier League

NBC Sports

01-04-2025

So, you want yourself a big goal-scoring machine to take your team up a level in both the Premier League landscape and world football in general, and you know it's going to cost you,
You're also hoping not to put your team at risk of Financial Fair Play woes by not just breaking the bank but incinerating it by trying to purchase an Alexander Isak. Conversely, you don't want to put your eggs in baskets labeled 'teenage prospect' or 'less-proven lottery ticket.'
In other words, you want to Three Bears this thing — Not too big, not too small, but just right.
Who could be your guy this summer? We're here for that.
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Let's start by eliminating the record-clobbering guys, or at least who should be a record-clobbering guy. With all due respect to Rasmus Hojlund or Antony, if we're going to spend close to nine figures on a player, he's going to have either a much-stronger resume and/or fewer question marks when it comes to making the leap to the Premier League.
Once upon a time there were very few players in world football that could cost $80 million or more. Currently, about 40 players have cost that figure on the market and more than 75% of those moves have happened in the last decade.
Yes, even good bets miss or don't hit their perceived heights. Timo Werner and Kai Havertz felt safe bets to be instant stars upon their Premier League moves. The former never hit and the latter took plenty of time to hit that mark and some might say he still is wide of it.
Which players in the world right now are unquestionably threatening the suspensions of several armored cars? Transfermarkt lists Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, Alexander Isak, Julian Alvarez, and Harry Kane as those with market values nearing or well-above $100 million. The next tier down includes Michael Olise, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Raphinha (For this practice, we'll also exclude recent Man City buy Omar Marmoush, who just made a big money move to a Premier League team in January.
We'll also, for this exercise, ignore players currently on Premier League rosters and likely to carry an extra intra-league tariff of sorts. Think Matheus Cunha, Joao Pedro, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Ollie Watkins, Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa, et. al
Anything below that is in play, money-wise, as we consider fits.
Level jumpers — Can they thrive quickly after making a big leap in league?
Samu Aghehowa, Porto — Love this player. Still 20 for another month, Aghehowa — you might know him as Samuel Omorodion but he changed his name in November in honor of his mother — is raw in some places but an absolutely lethal finisher. He has 15 goals from 23 games in his first season in the Portuguese Primera Liga and scored against Man United (2x), AS Roma, and Hoffenheim amongst his six Europa League goals to somewhat ease concerns about the jump from Portugal to England. He cost Porto around $40 million from Atletico Madrid.
Viktor Gyokeres, Sporting Lisbon — There are reports that Ruben Amorim's former talisman has an agreement to leave Lisbon for less than his release clause, and has 42 goals and 11 assists in 42 games this season after scoring 43 in 50 last season. His solid production in the Champions League and with Sweden help his case and he's scored buckets of goals in England albeit below the Premier League level.
Jonathan David, Lille — The French league is stronger than many think even if names like Nicolas Pepe and Tanguy Ndombele often dance through Premier League fans' heads. David has been piling up goals at Lille (and Gent before that) since he was a teenager, and this season's Champions League outlay includes goals against Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Liverpool, and Dortmund.
GOLAZO 🇨🇦🇨🇦
THIS IS WHY JONATHAN DAVID IS ONE OF THE BEST STRIKERS IN THE WORLD 💥#CanMNT up 2-1 over the #USMNT at the hour-mark ✨
🔴 Watch on OneSoccer & @TSN_Sports pic.twitter.com/xMDR2tTwZX
Record risks — Is there a risk of this season being an outlier?
Mateo Retegui, Atalanta — The 25-year-old is enjoying his best season so far, with 22 goals in his first season at Atalanta and second in Serie A. Argentine born, he has 18 caps and six goals for Italy.
Hugo Ekitike, Eintracht Frankfurt — His name has been long-mentioned as a hot prospect with all the tools to be a megastar, but this is his first season looking like a focal point forward after a growing-pain season at PSG and promising but relatively-quiet first half-season at Eintracht.
Ceiling touchers — Is there room to grow, or to refind previous peaks?
Victor Osimhen, Galatasaray (on loan from Napoli) — This one's just about wages, as Osimhen played down his Napoli contract and has scored for fun in every competition for club and country.
Benjamin Sesko, RB Leipzig — The towering 21-year-old Slovenian has scored at every level in following an Erling Haaland-like path through Europe, though his numbers aren't as audacious as Haaland's were at Salzburg and Dortmund. Leipzig's poor season may help suitors, because Sesko's size, age, and profile make him a nine-figure guy waiting to happen.
Rafael Leao, AC Milan — A fantastic finisher whether played centrally or on the left wing, Leao's big assist totals from wide positions do make the idea of him as a winger a pretty important moment. Think Heung-min Son or even a taller Bukayo Saka.
Victor Boniface, Bayer Levekusen — The 24-year-old Nigerian didn't post audacious figures thanks in part to decent absences from this and last season at Leverkusen, but his profile when fit is perfect for the Premier League.
Dusan Vlahovic, Juventus — At 25, there's a question as to whether the Serbian has another level. He's going to score 15-20 goals in all competitions, but his 2021-22 between Fiorentina and Juve (29 goals and six assists in 45 matches) had us thinking he could hit loftier goals.