Liverpool’s No. 9 shirt may not boast the reverence of Manchester United’s No. 7 or Barcelona’s No. 10, but it has been donned by an array of greats.
Ian Rush, Fernando Torres, Robbie Fowler and Roberto Firmino all evolved into Anfield icons with the figure on their backs, and everyone associated with the club was desperate for the loveable Darwin Nuñéz to embark on a similar journey.
The agent of chaos departs Merseyside this summer, having failed to live up to his then club-record fee, but says that his three years with the club "will always be part" of who he is. Nuñéz’s exit means Liverpool currently have a significant void on the shirt number front, with the sought-after No. 9 now vacant.
The obvious candidate to succeed Nuñéz isn’t yet on the club’s books, and Liverpool will surely wait to see how that saga plays out before handing the No. 9 to anyone else.
Here are the leading candidates to wear the Reds’ No. 9 shirt for 2025–26.
Alexander Isak
Liverpool are Europe’s biggest spenders after several windows of frugality, and the Premier League champions may be saving their biggest splash for last.
They’ve already smashed their transfer record by bringing in Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, and they’re seemingly prepared to one-up themselves by signing Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak.
The Swede, who scored 23 league goals last term, curiously waited until Arsenal and Liverpool had made striker purchases to declare his desire to leave Newcastle this summer, but the latter are still hoping to strike a deal with the Magpies after having their opening proposal rebuffed. Isak has previously been valued at £150 million.
If Liverpool do pull off the blockbuster transfer of the summer, Isak will surely take Nuñéz’s No. 9 shirt, even if he prefers Federico Chiesa’s No. 14. At club level, the Swede has only donned No. 9 for Willem II in the Eredivisie.
Hugo Ekitiké
While Liverpool were keen to usher out Nuñéz all summer, he remained on the club’s books when Ekitiké’s arrival from Eintracht Frankfurt was confirmed.
The Frenchman was handed a temporary number during the Reds’ preseason tour of the Far East, but have since confirmed Ekitiké to be their new No. 22. While the striker has historically had a preference for the No. 9 shirt, a change now seems unlikely—even if it could happen.
Ekitiké teased his unique talent in Liverpool’s preseason victory over Athletic Club, then scored his first goal for the club less than five minutes into their Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace. He’s the real deal, yet the Reds crave more in attack.
Rio Ngumoha
There’s a current dearth of out-and-out strikers at Liverpool, and if Isak ends up staying at Newcastle this summer, it seems likely that the Reds will leave their No. 9 shirt vacant for the 2025–26 season.
We’ve noted Rio Ngumoha as a potential option, but only because he doesn’t yet have a confirmed squad number off the back of his scintillating preseason.
The 16-year-old looks ready to contribute for the Premier League champions, and he was named on the bench for the Reds’ penalty shootout defeat to Palace at Wembley. Typically a winger or attacking midfielder by trade, Rio is an unlikely candidate to ever wear the No. 9 shirt at Anfield.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liverpool’s Next No. 9: Who Will Wear Darwin Nunez's Shirt?.
