The 10 best Premier League strikers you need to know right now in 2023/2024

Who are the best Premier League strikers right now in the 2023/2024 season?

From the elite goal-scorers to the all-around playmakers, from the ones at title contenders to those in the bottom half, we take a look at the 10 best strikers you need to know right now in the English top flight.

Strikers are not ranked but rather tiered based on their relative current quality and historic accomplishments.

That means if a young striker is already in Tier 1 or Tier 2, they have already shown a great deal of quality at the highest level, whether that is in the Premier League or another league of note.

Goals are not everything, so each section attempts to highlight other key stats showing a striker’s impact.

Tier 1

Erling Haaland, Manchester City

Current Stats

Erling Haaland has scored 13 goals and 3 assists in 12 Premier League matches this season. He also has 4 goals and 1 assists in 4 Champions League starts.

The Norwegian international is averaging 1.2 key passes per game in league play with 0.8 per match in the UCL.

Accomplishments

In 2020/21, Erling Haaland was the Bundesliga’s Player of the Season for Borussia Dortmund, leading the team to the DFB Pokal and saving the team from finishing outside the top four.

He was in the Team of the Season in both of his campaigns with BVB and was the Austrian Bundesliga’s Player of the Season in the previous campaign for RB Salzburg. In 2020, he won the prestigious Golden Boy award.

At Manchester City, Haaland scored 36 Premier League goals in the 2022/23 season to break the single-season scoring record, winning the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup in the process.

Haaland was the Premier League Player of the Season and scored more goals than anyone else in European football. He won the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year and finished as the Champions League’s leading goal-scorer for the second time in his career.

Strengths

Erling Haaland is one of the best pure goal-scorers in the world. He is devastating in transition and is one of the best pure athletes in world football with his pace and power.

Haaland isn’t just about the great goals, including a ridiculous scissor volley for Dortmund vs. Schalke, and the raw athleticism.

Even dating back to his days with BVB, Haaland is one of the best strikers in the world at subtly creating chances for teammates, needing just one touch to put someone in a great position.

His main responsibility is to be the top goal-scorer for a team, but he is not a selfish player. Haaland is often seen celebrating with teammates and leading by example.

Despite all his accomplishments, he has remained humble and focused on putting the team first. That may be why he is the striker Pep Guardiola gets along with best.

Julián Álvarez, Manchester City

Current Stats

Transitioning to more of an attacking midfield role in 2023/24 with Kevin De Bruyne injured, Julián Álvarez has scored 4 goals with 4 assists in 12 matches for Manchester City.

He is averaging 2.3 key passes per game as one of the best playmakers in the Premier League.

Accomplishments

The 2021 South American Footballer of the Year after scoring 20 goals in 35 matches for River Plate to lead the Argentine Primera División in goals, Julián Álvarez won the treble in his first season at Manchester City.

He won the Primera and Copa Libertadores during his time at River Plate as one of the best striker prospects in world football. For Argentina, Álvarez won the Copa América in 2021 and then the World Cup itself in 2022.

Strengths

At River Plate, Julián Álvarez established himself as one of the best finishers in world football at a young age, flashing real creative brilliance and dribbling skills.

Every top club was looking at him, but Álvarez quickly picked Manchester City, with Erling Haaland eventually joining him.

In 2022/23, Álvarez managed to look like a future superstar despite getting less minutes with Haaland in the fold, and now in 2023/24, he is truly breaking out with more minutes in a 10 role.

Versatile and gifted with elite end product, Álvarez is already one of the top players in the Premier League.

Son Heung-min, Tottenham

Current Stats

Son Heung-min has scored 8 goals in 10 matches for Tottenham in the 2023/24 Premier League season, averaging 1.6 key passes and 1.9 combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn per game.

Accomplishments

One of the most celebrated players in the modern era of the Premier League, Son Heung-min has yet to win a major trophy at Tottenham but was the key player who led them to the Champions League Final in 2018/19 amidst an injury to Harry Kane.

Son has been Tottenham’s Player of the Season three times, as well as the Best Footballer in Asia eight times.

The 2021/22 Eurosport Player of the Season, Son was also the leading goal-scorer in the Premier League that year with 23 goals. In 2020, he won the prestigious Puskás Award for this unforgettable solo effort.

Strengths

A winger by trade, Son Heun-min has transitioned to being the main man in the middle for Tottenham after Harry Kane’s departure to Bayern München.

Son is one of the best athletes in world football. He is fast and explosive, and he’s stronger on the ball than his size would indicate.

The South Korean superstar has some of the best solo goals in world football, and he’s able to create chances for teammates because of the chaos he creates on the ball.

Son makes good decisions and is a highly efficient attacking player, dating back to his days as a star in the Bundesliga for Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen.

Tier 2

Darwin Núñez, Liverpool

Current Stats

Darwin Núñez has 4 goals and 4 assists in 11 Premier League appearances, with only 6 of those being starts. The former Benfica man is averaging 1.8 dribbles completed and 1.0 key passes per game in the Europa League.

Accomplishments

A two-time Primera División Champion in Uruguay, Darwin Núñez was the Primeira Liga’s leading goal-scorer in 2021/22 with 26 goals in 28 appearances, running away with Player of the Season honors in the Portuguese top flight.

Strengths

With his strength and skill, Núñez is one of the most high-upside strikers in world football. At times, he is unplayable, with a non-stop motor and a real nose for finding goal-scoring positions.

Núñez’s finishing at Liverpool has been streaky, but his all-around play has been impressive. There is clear, world-class talent in the 24-year-old Uruguayan waiting to break out.

Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal

Current Stats

Gabriel Jesus has three goals and one assist in three Champions League matches, averaging 1.3 key passes per game.

Accomplishments

A four-time Premier League champion with Manchester City, Gabriel Jesus also won the Brazilian top flight at Palmeiras. For his national team Brazil, Jesus is a 2019 Copa América champion.

In 2016 when he won the league title with Palmeiras, Jesus was named the best player in Série A with 21 goals in all competitions. He was the South American Footballer of the Year, too.

Strengths

Gabriel Jesus doesn’t have the most impressive goal-scoring record despite being a striker. He isn’t a bad finisher, but he’s never been an elite-level scorer.

However, Jesus is one of the classiest all-around strikers in world football, giving so many opportunities to goal-scoring wingers and attacking midfielders with his creativity and willingness to take defenders on.

Jesus is tireless, winning the ball, tracking back, and dropping deep to start attacks. His one-twos and link-up play are world-class. As Arsenal have noticed in the 2023/24 Champions League, Jesus does have a knack for scoring important goals.

Tier 3

Ollie Watkins, Aston Villa

Current Stats

Ollie Watkins has found the back of the net 6 times in 12 Premier League starts with an additional 5 assists. He averages 1.7 key passes per game.

Accomplishments

In 2019/20, Ollie Watkins scored 25 goals for Brentford, becoming the EFL Championship’s Player of the Season. He then earned a transfer to Aston Villa in the Premier League.

Strengths

Watkins played a key role in Aston Villa taking a European place from Tottenham last season. He has blossomed into one of the best all-around strikers in the Premier League under Unai Emery, creating so many chances for teammates.

Watkins is a constant danger to defenses with his agility, willingness to put teammates first, and clutch finishing. He can score goals in bunches.

Alexander Isak, Newcastle

Current Stats

Alexander Isak has bagged 6 goals in 6 starts for the Magpies, making two more appearances off the bench. The Swedish international averages 1.5 dribbles completed per match.

Accomplishments

Part of the Dortmund squad that won the 2016/17 DFB Pokal, Alexander Isak would have a much bigger impact on the 2019/20 Real Sociedad side that won the Copa del Rey against the odds.

Isak’s brace stunned Real Madrid, and he would finish the tournament with 7 goals in 8 matches as the leading scorer.

Strengths

Although Isak is known for his inconsistency and failed to live up to his potential at Real Sociedad and Dortmund, calling him a failure in LaLiga would be unfair. He moved to Newcastle for a reason, and Newcastle haven’t spent money unwisely since the Saudi Arabia takeover.

Isak has only been deemed as someone falling short of his potential because when he is at his best, he legitimately looks like one of the world’s best strikers.

With his silky dribbling skills, effortless finishing, and ability to eat blades of grass with casually long strides, Isak looks like an Erling Haaland-level player when he is in the mood.

He is capable of scoring five goals in a single match. His all-around play is slowly but surely improving, too.

And remember, despite being around the block for several years as a former BVB phenom, he is still just 24 years old – as young as Darwin Núñez.

Tier 4

Dominic Solanke, Bournemouth

Current Stats

The 26-year-old English striker has scored 6 goals in 12 matches for Bournemouth this season, averaging 1 key pass per match and 1.8 combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn per game.

Accomplishments

Dominic Solanke was a phenom at the youth level for England, even winning the 2017 U-20 World Cup Golden Ball when the Three Lions took home the trophy.

He won the UEFA Youth League with Chelsea in 2014/15, being named the club’s academy player of the year and England’s best male youth player for winning the U-17 Euros.

He was part of the 2017/18 Liverpool squad that reached the Champions League Final.

In 2021/22, Solanke scored a staggering 29 goals for Bournemouth in the Championship to get them back up to the Premier League, making the Team of the Season for his efforts.

Strengths

One of the best athletes at the striker position in the Premier League, Solanke looks like a late-bloomer.

He is legitimately one of the most productive strikers in the league, often rescuing Bournemouth and helping them keep the pace with more talented teams when games get high-scoring.

Solanke has a solid all-around game with his physical strength and smooth dribbling on the ball. He is one to keep watching closely.

Evan Ferguson, Brighton

Current Stats

Evan Ferguson has 5 goals in 7 starts for the Seagulls, making 4 more appearances off the bench. He is averaging 1.2 fouls drawn per game.

Accomplishments

In 2022/23, Brighton named Ferguson their Young Player of the Season amidst stiff competition.

Strengths

19-year-old Irish striker Evan Ferguson is one of the hottest prospects in the Premier League right now and one of many exciting young talents on Brighton who is already having a decisive impact for the Europa League side.

He is rapidly improving as a finisher and has great physical strength. Ferguson can beat anyone in the air and has a good, innate feel for off-the-ball positioning.

This is a young striker who can truly explode in the coming seasons as a top-tier Premier League goal-scorer – if he isn’t already doing so in 2023/24 for Brighton.

Eddie Nketiah, Arsenal

Current Stats

The 24-year-old Eddie Nketiah has scored 5 goals in 9 Premier League starts for Arsenal so far in 2023/24, making 3 more appearances off the bench. He’s also averaging 1.4 fouls drawn per match.

Accomplishments

Part of the Arsenal squad that reached the 2018/19 Europa League Final, Eddie Nketiah was also a part of the squad when they won the 2019/20 FA Cup, spending half the season on loan at Leeds United.

That season, Leeds also won the EFL Championship.

Strengths

Like Gabriel Jesus, Nketiah is more of an all-around striker who likes to hold play up and create chances for teammates. He doesn’t have the skill or creativity of Jesus, but he has the Brazilian’s grit and work ethic.

Nketiah is incredibly intelligent and unselfish, making all the right moves off the ball. He’s steadily growing in stature at Arsenal and looks like a better finisher than the other quality 9 at the Emirates.