While football is about more than goal-scoring, the players who ultimately win or lose games are most often the strikers.
In the modern game, the true No. 9 is enjoying something of a resurgence after many years of steady decline. A handful of world-class strikers remain across Europe, with a select few in the Premier League.
Behind them are a host of mid-level forwards, some of whom keep the No. 9 style alive, while other up-and-coming youngsters have developed a more versatile game. As clubs look to position themselves for a positive campaign relative to their expectations, some have splashed big money on goalscorers they hope will push them towards their goals.
The Sporting News looks at every Premier League club’s starting strikers and those behind them on the depth chart, ranking each club by not only their first-choice player but indeed the entire wealth of talent at their disposal.
JUMP TO: Numbers 20-16 | Numbers 15-11 | Numbers 10-6 | Top 5 strikers
Premier League striker rankings: Comparing each club’s No. 9
The below rankings are based on a combination of each team’s first-choice No. 9 and the back-up options at their disposal.
20. Sunderland — Wilson Isidor (Eliezer Mayenda, Luis Semedo)
France youth international Wilson Isidor scored 13 goals last season in league play, but he fell completely off the table at the end of the campaign. He didn’t score a single goal in his final 13 matches of the regular season before netting once in the playoff semifinal first leg.
Twenty-year-old Eliezer Mayenda showed promise alongside Isidor, bagging eight goals of his own and assisting five more, but all in all, playoff winners Sunderland look ill-prepared for the move up to the Premier League.
19. Burnley — Zian Flemming (Lyle Foster, Michael Obafemi, Ashley Barnes)
Burnley are bereft of top-level striker talent as they return to the Premier League. They rotated between Zian Flemming (12 goals) and Lyle Foster (two goals) last season, but there was a clear production disparity between the two. Unfortunately, neither looks well suited for the English top flight, and it’s hard to be comfortable about Burnley’s chances of staying up with either of these two — or those behind them — leading the line.
Zeki Amdouni was likely to be on his way out, but suffered an ACL tear in preseason training and therefore won’t factor into their plans for most of the season.
17. Everton — Thierno Barry (Beto)
Everton lost Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who statistically was one of the worst finishers in Premier League history, and replaced him with 22-year-old Thierno Barry of Villarreal. The youngster scored 13 goals in La Liga last season and should provide a significant upgrade.
Barry is largely untested and has significant weaknesses in his game, including a complete lack of passing or defensive work. But he’s a monster in the air and can carry the ball forward into the attack himself. We’ll see how he translates to the Premier League, and while Everton have taken a risk on a pure goalscorer for a decently sized fee, it won’t be hard to surpass the accomplishments of Calvert-Lewin, or even those of Beto behind him on the depth chart, who has experienced similar finishing struggles in his Everton career.
17. Leeds United — Lukas Nmecha (Joel Piroe)
Back in the Premier League after two seasons down in the Championship, Leeds United grabbed former Wolfsburg striker Lukas Nmecha on a free transfer. It’s been a difficult first few seasons in the Bundesliga for Nmecha: after scoring eight goals in his first campaign with Wolfsburg in 2021/22, he bagged just eight more in the three seasons since and lost his starting place.
He will have a fight for the starting spot alongside Joel Piroe, who was brilliant last season with 19 goals in 46 league games. If Piroe is able to translate his game to the Premier League, or Nmecha is more successful in England than he was in Germany, Leeds not only could see themselves shoot up this list but also secure Premier League safety.
For now, however, there is great concern around the three newly promoted sides.
16. Brighton & Hove Albion — Danny Welbeck (Charalampos Kostoulas, Stefanos Tzimas)
Still chugging along at 34 years old, Danny Welbeck experienced something of a revival last season, hitting double figures in goals for, incredibly, the first time in his Premier League career, while reaching 2,000 league minutes for the first time as well.
It’s hard to imagine Welbeck reaching that level again, and behind him is a lot of uncertainty. Evan Ferguson has joined Roma on loan, while big-money signing Charalampos Kostoulas cost a lot of dough for an 18-year-old who has never played outside his home country, Greece. If they strike gold with Kostoulas, their prayers are answered and they could rise up this list, but as it stands, it’s hard to imagine such a young player being ready to contribute huge numbers.
15. West Ham — Niclas Fullkrug (Jarrod Bowen)
The signing of Niclas Fullkrug proved to be an enormous miss for West Ham, at least in his first Premier League season. The German managed just three goals and two assists as injuries played a significant factor. They’re hoping for a bigger improvement in year two, although at 32 years old, he is quickly running out of time to turn things around.
When he managed to get on the field, Fullkrug wasn’t a poor finisher, but instead couldn’t get himself into dangerous positions, racking up just 2.16 xG on just 16 shots across over 700 minutes. The German is a quality player, as evidenced by three different seasons of double-digit Bundesliga scoring totals, but the Hammers need more from him next campaign to have any hope of a top-half finish.
14. Wolves — Jorgen Strand Larsen (Fabio Silva, Sasa Kalajdzic)
The departure of Matheus Cunha leaves Wolves looking to replace the heartbeat of their attacking unit, but they have a goal-scorer they can lean on in Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Larsen logged over 2,500 minutes last season in the Premier League, scoring the most under-the-radar 14 goals you’ll ever see as Cunha hogged the spotlight. The problem is Larsen didn’t really do anything else: not passing, not progressing, not dribbling… nothing. Last season’s tally came on 10.27 xG, indicating there’s a bit of air in his numbers, and if he can’t keep up that level of finishing, he’ll have to add something else to his game to be a viable option up front with Cunha gone.
Kalajdzic will hope to have an impact as he recovers from his latest ACL injury, but Fabio Silva is expected to leave.
13. Bournemouth — Evanilson (Enes Unal)
Bournemouth have not yet adequately replaced Dominic Solanke, as Enes Unal suffered a torn ACL soon after joining and young Evanilson has not quite developed into a prolific scorer. The former still needs time to return, while the latter did manage to reach 10 Premier League goals but needed 13.71 xG to get there.
The Cherries, at this point, seem likely to stick with their current crop of forwards, although they have significant funds to work with after the sales of Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez.
12. Fulham — Raul Jimenez (Rodrigo Muniz)
Fulham managed to account for Alexander Mitrovic’s departure quite well by reviving Raul Jimenez’s career. The Mexico international scored just 10 total Premier League goals across three seasons before joining the London club, but he has bagged 19 across the two seasons since.
While he’s not exactly a prolific goal-scorer and isn’t likely to grow into a more dangerous threat now at 34 years old, Jimenez has been just what Fulham had hoped for as a low-risk bet on a €6 million addition. With a comparable protegee behind him in Rodrigo Muniz, who does an exceptional amount of defensive work in addition to a strong goal-scoring record, Fulham are in decent hands heading into next season, and Muniz is well positioned to eventually take over the job himself once Jimenez finally ages out.
11. Brentford — Yoane Wissa (Igor Thiago)
Brentford were gutted after the 2024/25 season, as Bryan Mbeumo’s departure in particular sees them drop considerably in the rankings, and the change in manager leaves the team in flux.
There is now a chance, however, for Yoane Wissa to shine, as he was often overshadowed by Mbeumo while himself enjoying a remarkable campaign. Wissa quietly has scored 31 goals in 69 matches over the past two seasons, and does a fair amount of progressive work from the striker position as well as a strong defensive work rate. Of course, it seems very possible he will leave before the transfer window closes, which would see Brentford slide down this list.
10. Nottingham Forest — Chris Wood (Taiwo Awoniyi, Igor Jesus, Emmanuel Dennis)
Chris Wood’s incredible 2024/25 season dramatically earned Nottingham Forest a place in Europe, and there’s no taking that away from him. Yet it’s hard to lay out a more obvious one-hit wonder than his remarkable 20-goal performance.
Now 33 years old, Wood had never scored more than 14 goals in a single season and had only eclipsed the 20-goal mark once before, coming nearly a decade prior with Leeds in the Championship. In addition, he bagged those 20 goals on just 13.35 xG, a remarkable rate of return that has only been eclipsed five times in the last four seasons.
At this point, Wood has almost as much to prove as new Premier League strikers like Viktor Gyokeres, because it’s hard to believe that can back up last season. Even if he returns to low double-digits, though, he remains a viable option up front as long as he can stay healthy.
9. Crystal Palace — Jean-Philippe Mateta (Eddie Nketiah, Odsonne Edouard)
Crystal Palace are in a very precarious position from a squad perspective heading into a pivotal season where they are set to compete in Europe. A host of players critical to the squad are also close to running down their contracts, meaning now is a good time to sell. Yet if they do, it would severely hamper their chances of balancing domestic and continental schedules.
One of those players is Jean-Philippe Mateta, who, at 28 years old, will never have a higher transfer value. Coming off a 14-goal Premier League campaign, Mateta has two years left on his contract, and Palace have a big decision to make on him alongside that of Eberechi Eze.
Mateta was brilliant for France at the Summer Olympics last year, but he never took that next step at Palace to become one of the Premier League’s most prolific strikers, seeing his total actually drop slightly from 2023/24 despite an increase in minutes.
8. Manchester United — Rasmus Hojlund (Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Joshua Zirkzee, Chido Obi)
It seemed Manchester United were in striker hell under the stewardship of Rasmus Hojlund, but they have moved to rectify that this offseason with a pair of truly quality additions.
Cunha was exceptional for Wolves, proving not only an effective finisher but also an outstanding creative force, but he is not exactly a natural No. 9. Neither is Bryan Mbeumo, and both potentially are set to operate as dual No. 10’s behind whoever starts up front in Amorim’s system.
It’s confusing why Amorim would look to force both new players behind the struggling Hojlund, when he can simply bench the Danish international and play either addition in his place. Doing so would also allow either Bruno Fernandes to play forward as a 10 or see Amad Diallo slot in rather than being wasted out at wing-back.
The Red Devils improved considerably in this department, but they must make it work under Amorim before they can be considered one of the Premier League’s more dangerous atttacking units. The potential is there, but we have said that about multiple Man United players over the past few seasons, and many of them failed to pan out. Additionally, as long as Hojlund leads the line, it will be muted in its effectiveness.
7. Tottenham — Dominic Solanke (Richarlison, Mathys Tel, Dane Scarlett)
Tottenham have two quality striker options in Dominic Solanke and Richarlison, but neither leaps off the page. Richarlison’s injury issues have seen Solanke, a reliable performer, take over the starting spot, but neither are pushing for world-class status.
Both players are generally known for their off-ball movement than on-ball skill set, and Solanke’s dip in production from 19 goals in his final season at Bournemouth to nine in his first with Spurs indicates maybe he’s not the one to take them to the promised land, especially as he’s logged a negative xG differential in every single top flight season of his career.
6. Aston Villa — Ollie Watkins
Few strikers have been more consistent over the past few years than Ollie Watkins, who has scored 75 goals in his five seasons with Aston Villa, all spread across double-digit single-season hauls. Watkins peaked in 2023/24 with 19 goals and 15 assists, but last season’s 16 and eight show he remains a force.
Still, at 29 years old, it’s hard to know when Watkins will begin to give way, and Villa should think about his replacement soon. While the England international was always unlikely to replicate his total from two seasons ago, the considerable dip in peripheral creative contributions is concerning.
Instead, Villa have failed to address this concern. The sale of Jhon Duran to the Saudi Pro League leaves the club woefully undermanned at the striker position. Only Watkins remains up front, and while he is a durable option, currently there’s nobody behind him for backup now that former loanee Marcus Rashford has gone to Barcelona.
5. Chelsea — Joao Pedro (Liam Delap, Nicolas Jackson)
Chelsea may have one of the best striker groups in the Premier League, or they may have one of the most over-hyped. As the 2025/26 season begins, it’s almost impossible to know truly which is more accurate.
Nobody embodies that more than Nicolas Jackson, who has struggled with consistency in his time at Chelsea. He has been overall an extremely poor finisher, scoring 24 goals on 33.79 xG across his two full seasons. While his ability to combine with teammates has been strong, Jackson also has had problems with discipline.
In step Joao Pedro and Liam Delap, two additions early in the 2025 summer transfer window. Both looked positive at the Club World Cup, albeit in a small sample size. Joao Pedro especially was the star of the two biggest matches, scoring three goals across the semifinals and final while looking exceptional both on and off the ball. Delap coming off the bench in the final while Jackson remained unused may have signaled that he now sits below the other two on the depth chart entering the next Premier League campaign.
4. Liverpool — Hugo Ekitike (Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo)
Liverpool won the Premier League title without a bona fide solution at the No. 9 position. Cody Gakpo proved to be the most effective striker across the 2024/25 title season, but Arne Slot clearly preferred to keep him out wide. Darwin Nunez struggled, and, like Gakpo, Luis Diaz was better out wide before completing his move to Bayern Munich. The tragic loss of Diogo Jota has also necessitated change.
An incredibly frustrating player, Nunez does so many things well on and off the ball, but his egregious misses are difficult to excuse. He has a glaringly negative xG differential through his three seasons at Anfield, scoring 25 Premier League goals on 40.47 xG for a -15.47 mark.
Thus, the arrival of Hugo Ekitike appears to fill a massive hole. While Ekitike appears talented, the big-money move also comes with significant risk. His 15-goal tally for Eintracht Frankfurt last league season was the first productive campaign of his entire career, and often Bundesliga players overperform their abilities given the attacking nature of the league. Additionally, he sports an expected goals differential of similar ilk to Nunez, bagging his 15 goals on 21.58 xG for an ugly -6.58 mark. If his opportunities thin somewhat in the Premier League, can he remain productive?
A lack of truly upper-tier strikers in the Premier League have this talented group of individuals high on the list, but there is much for them to prove this coming season as Liverpool hope to take the weight off an ageing Mohamed Salah’s shoulders. All that will change, of course, should they snare Alexander Isak from Newcastle.
3. Arsenal — Viktor Gyokeres (Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Mikel Merino)
Arsenal’s complete lack of a striker last season cost them dearly, resulting in the addition of Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP. It’s difficult to know how much of Gyokeres’s incredible campaign will translate to the Premier League, but clearly the Gunners believe he will solve many of their problems up front.
Now 27 years old, Gyokeres isn’t getting any younger, but boasting 68 goals in 66 Primeira Liga matches over the past two seasons, it’s clear that he is a fully developed finisher. He is exceptional from the penalty spot, something Arsenal has struggled to find from its current squad.
MORE: How to pronounce the name of new Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres
However, with such so much still to prove, it’s hard to put Gyokeres above some other well-established strikers, and he is only ahead of the likes of Chelsea (unsettled striker battle) and Liverpool (lack of natural No. 9 options) for circumstantial reasons.
2. Newcastle United — Alexander Isak (William Osula)
Last season proved that Alexander Isak is a force to be reckoned with at the Premier League level. With 23 goals in 34 games played, Isak displayed not just a world-class ability to find the net, but also elite durability, something which Arsenal will know is highly valuable at the No. 9 position.
Amazingly, Isak didn’t even need to be an elite-level finisher to end up second in the Golden Boot race — he snatched those 23 goals on 20.42 xG, meaning while he did indeed finish at a high rate, he also excelled at racking up high-quality chances too. Isak’s 0.21 xG per shot ranks him second amongst the top 50 goal scorers in the league.
It’s still to be determined if Newcastle will either sell Isak and find a replacement, add to the striker ranks in preparation for Isak’s departure soon, or leave things the way they are, but as it stands, his presence alone puts Newcastle in elite company from a striker perspective.
1. Manchester City — Erling Haaland (Omar Marmoush, Oscar Bobb)
Erling Haaland isn’t just the best striker in the Premier League, he’s quite possibly the best striker in the world. In an age where the true No. 9 remains something of a rarity, Haaland is a cheat code at the front of the Manchester City attack.
Still just 24 years old, Haaland scored 84 Premier League goals in his first three seasons in England across 97 games. At such a pace, he is already about one third of the way to Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League goal-scoring mark.
With Omar Marmoush an extremely capable forward in his own right behind the Norwegian superstar, Manchester City boast No. 9 talent unparalleled not just in England but, arguably, around the world.
