Sturridge only choice for top Reds marksman even if Suarez stays

All of the talk may be about one Liverpool forward at the moment, but once the season starts that could well switch to another.

The transfer saga surrounding Luis Suarez shows no sign of coming to a conclusion either way, but it is a player who moved to Anfield in January who could end up stealing all the headlines for the Reds, who still look a little too short for a top four finish at 13/8.

Whilst the new signing Iago Aspas has shown an eye for goal during pre-season, Daniel Sturridge scored 11 in 16 following his £12m move from Chelsea at the beginning of the year.

Playing as the spearhead of Brendan Rodgers’ attack with Suarez in support, the England forward flourished and managed to find the net against the likes of Manchester United and his former clubs Manchester City and Chelsea, as well as plundering a first career hat-trick in a win at Fulham.

At a price of 3/1 to finish the 2013/14 season as Liverpool’s top Premier League goalscorer, Sturridge should be given serious consideration whatever happens to Suarez.

The Uruguayan is of course banned for the first six matches of the Reds’ campaign – although only five of those will come in the league – and with the club reportedly confident that Sturridge will have recovered from an ankle injury in time for their opening game of the season against Stoke, the 23-year-old could hit the ground running.

Liverpool only face two of last season’s top five in their opening 15 games of the season, and so Rodgers will be targeting a goal-laden beginning to the campaign.

At 1/2 to be his current club’s top scorer it remains to been seen whether Suarez will be around to follow up last season’s haul of 23 league goals, but if Sturridge can maintain last season’s ratio then he won’t be far off challenging that.

And stealing a few of his current teammate’s headlines as he does so.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publication