Liverpool transfer news: Brendan Rodgers reveals transfer plans to sign a new striker to put Daniel Sturridge's future into doubt

Rodgers blames a lack of goals this season for Liverpool's drop out of the top four and Sturridge could be replaced as his first-choice striker as a result

Steven Gerrard and Daniel Sturridge (Getty Images)

Daniel Sturridge may find himself facing an uncertain future as Liverpool's first-choice striker after manager Brendan Rodgers revealed he intends to buy a "top level" striker this summer.

Rodgers explained that Sturridge’s injury troubles this year have been behind his drop in form compared to his brilliant 2013/14 campaign which saw him become England’s lead striker, as well as taking over the mantle from Luis Suarez at Anfield.

Having missed nearly the entire first half of the season though, Sturridge has struggled for a run of games as well as goals, and with little support coming from Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini, Rodgers resorted to playing Raheem Sterling through the middle as a makeshift striker.

The Reds have played 52 games already this season but Sturridge has appeared in just 18 of those, scoring five goals along the way with four coming in the league.

And speaking at his press conference ahead of today’s Premier League clash with West Brom, Rodgers revealed that he is in the market to bring in another striker in order to cover Sturridge should he suffer any further injuries.

“He’s not fit and once he can show that consistency and fitness, you can see in his performance level that it’s a high one,” said Rodgers. “But obviously he has missed a lot of the season so we need to assess it. Either way, if he’s not available, we need to have that support.

“I need one that is going to be playing and at a top level every week,” Rodgers added.

“We have to hope with Daniel that this year was just an unlucky season and he can come back super-fit and super-strong because he has an immense talent. You can’t argue with that. He can be as good as any striker in the world with his talent.”

Sturridge has struggled with injuries this season (AFP/Getty)

Asked where he felt Liverpool had failed this season that looks set to cost them their place at Europe’s elite table, Rodgers made no attempts to hide where he felt they had come up short.

“It’s not rocket science,” said Rodgers. “We haven’t scored enough goals this year. If the sequence goes on we are on course to be around 60 goals down on last year. That’s a huge amount. I came in the season before and we had 49 goals, so you’re taking nearly a season of goals out of the team.

Sturridge has only scored five goals this season (Getty Images)

“It’s simple, we need more of a scoring threat. We missed it immensely this year and obviously that has affected results. I think what the players have done to arrive where we have is credit to them without that. So in the summer we have to try and find goals again. We looked last summer and certainly will again this summer. If we do that we have an opportunity again for next season to be like our second year.”