Lucas Stassin to Liverpool is INEVITABLE

Liverpool are in the market for a number nine this summer and Lucas Stassin is the perfect option.

There's been so much talk about forwards ahead of the transfer window. Fans want a proven goal-scorer but what even is a proven goal-scorer?

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We all thought Darwin Nunez was going to be that player. He scored more than 30 goals for Benfica in his final season, and netted against Liverpool in the Champions League.

Yet, he didn't quite fit the mould at Liverpool.

Going by the Nunez logic, there are players with alluring goal-scoring numbers. Viktor Gyokeres is among them. Victor Osimhen is another.

But all of these players come at premium prices. Transfer fees or wages that are simply too much of a risk, because while they may be proven in Portugal or Italy, they are not proven in the Premier League.

In fact very few forwards on the market are proven in England's top flight. So if Liverpool are going to make a gamble, why make it a costly one?

When they can so easily just sign Lucas Stassin for pennies.

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Why Lucas Stassin is an inevitable Liverpool transfer link

Amid all of the sky high prices for strikers, like almost £100m for Benjamin Sesko (who is going to pay that by the way? Seriously.) Stassin is an affordable option.

Primarily because St Etienne have been relegated from Ligue 1, so they are probably in need of selling some of their prized assets.

Stassin is easily the player who they could get the biggest amount for. Plus, he's also way too good for Ligue 1. He made 16 goal contributions in 28 Ligue 1 matches last season, all while playing in a pretty terrible side.

Sure, he's not a big name. Yes, he's another project player. But no, he's not going to cost Liverpool tens of millions and demand steep wages.

He's 20-year-old, valued at €11m by Football Transfers and he only cost Saint Ettiene €1.5m last summer. So, they are not looking to make a huge profit on him.

Yet at the same time, Stassin is a hugely exciting player. He ticks a lot of boxes for Liverpool.

First of all, Arne Slot's system doesn't demand a static, fox in the box no.9. Liverpool need someone who can link-up with his teammates, create space and take defenders on in tight spaces.

Stassin is capable of all of that. He was actually named in the Ligue 1 Team of the Season for on the ball value by Hudl, which is an incredible feat for a striker playing in a relegated side.

Liverpool obviously don't just need a playmaker, they also need someone who can score goals. It's a short sample size so far but Stassin has proven that he is an effective finisher.

Among forwards in Ligue 1 who have played at least 2000+ minutes, Stassin has the best goal conversion rate at 30.76%.

He doesn't average a high volume of shots, just 1.74 per 90, though this is not surprising given he plays in a relegated side.

With more volume and more shots, Stassin could score even more goals or his goal conversion rate may peter out a little bit.

But having over 30% in his debut season in Ligue 1 is really impressive. Compare that to the striker playing in the Premier League for a relegated side this season in Liam Delap and Stassin comes out on top.

Delap's goal conversion rate is 18% He averages slightly more shots per 90 (2.04) but not by much.

£30m is still an absolute bargain for Delap. Don't get it twisted. An 18% goal conversion is a very decent return. But Stassin could be the real steal here.

And he'd likely cost way less than £30m. Liverpool wanted to bring in a raw gem of a similar profile in January when Stefanos Tzimas was pursued.

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Stassin has Michael Edwards written all over him as well. It feels like links to Liverpool are going to be inevitable, if not this summer, then next season when he starts banging in goals wherever his goes.