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When Brendan Rodgers saw his bid to sign Clint Dempsey hijacked by Tottenham at the shutting of the summer transfer window, he might have known that his decision not to strengthen Liverpool's attacking resources earlier would come back to haunt him.
But he had to put these concerns to the back of his mind as he tried to make a good first impression at Anfield. He believed that in Luis Suarez and Fabio Borini, his 10m buy from Roma, he would have enough goals to get by.
However, when Borini suffered a broken foot while on international duty with Italy under 21s this month, Rodgers was left cursing the decision to allow Andy Carroll and Dirk Kuyt the chance to leave.
Ill-judged: Brendan Rodgers allowed Andy Carroll and Dirk Kuyt to leave Anfield without adequately replacing them
He would also have reached straight away for a pen and notepad to scribble down the names of a few transfer targets for January. While there's 67 days until Christmas, it might bring Rodgers more joy that the transfer window is 74 days away.
Sportsmail looks at a few of the possible names on his wish list.
Daniel Sturridge
All the indications are that Sturridge's time at Chelsea is drawing to its natural end and the only question remaining is whether the frontman will take a clean break of a permanent move or a loan deal.
The former option is looking increasingly likely, and Chelsea bosses are likely to start the bidding at 15m.
He's played a grand total of 54 minutes of football for Chelsea this season and, through this, Roberto Di Matteo has made it abundantly clear the 23-year-old should find another club.
Better late than never: Sturridge was bound for Liverpool in the summer but the deal fell through
A serious summer bout of meningitis and a hamstring injury have not aided his efforts to dislodge Oscar, Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres from Chelsea's fearsome attacking line-up.
A season-long loan move to Liverpool should have been completed on transfer deadline day, but Sturridge wanted a permanent move.
If the 15m fee is sanctioned, it's likely Rodgers will take the necessary steps to wrap up the deal well before January given potential competition from Tottenham and possibly Arsenal and Manchester City.
Sturridge, who can be a real danger when running at defensive lines, is capable of operating both as an orthodox striker and on the right wing.
Gary Hooper
An impressive return of 46 goals in 67 Scottish Premier League appearances for Celtic over the last couple of years has demonstrated Hooper's prowess and a recent breakdown in contract negotiations means the time would be right for Liverpool to strike.
Hooper has previously expressed a desire to return to England, having found the necessary confidence in front of goal North of the border, and there has even been some speculation about an England call-up.
Front runner: Gary Hooper has a proven scoring record in the SPL and has been linked with Liverpool
He could be the kind of penalty box poacher Liverpool are looking for and, given the right service, should guarantee 20 goals a season. Yet his career until 2010 was a slow-burner and he failed to make the grade at Tottenham, before rebuilding in the lower leagues.
The argument that his ability cannot be truly judged because of the standard of the SPL is countered by Hooper's goals in the Champions League this season, proving perhaps that he is ready to make the next leap.
Darren Bent
Unlike the other candidates on this list, Bent, with whom Liverpool have been linked with in passing since the end of the transfer window, brings a wealth of Premier League experience.
The England striker has been around for ten years at this level, but his transfer to Aston Villa has proved a wrong turn after a profitable spell at Sunderland.
Out of favour: Darren Bent celebrates scoring against West Brom, but he has not started much under Paul Lambert
Bent has been out of favour with new boss Paul Lambert since the summer, having been replaced as Villa captain by Ron Vlaar and demoted beneath Christian Benteke in the pecking order.
With his England chances slipping away – his last outing was in the friendly with Sweden last November – as a result, Bent is likely to press for a move in the New Year as Villa seek to recoup something on a 24m investment.
While Liverpool will certainly not bid anything like that, they know that Bent could be a very worthwhile buy if his best form can be restored.
Demba Ba
Reports last week suggested that Newcastle's Ba is wanted by Rodgers after Hamburg rebuffed his approach for their talented Korean frontman Son Heung-min.
Ba would again offer a proven Premier League scoring record, with six goals in seven appearances so far this season off the back of 16 in his debut campaign.
Ba-gain? Newcastle's Demba could be Anfield-bound for 7m
Despite being one of Newcastle's star assets, and their management and owners wanting stability, there is a 7m buy-out clause in Ba's contract.
A potential move has been reignited by Senegal's failure to qualify for the African Cup of Nations, which would make Ba immediately available for Liverpool.
One stumbling block could be the striker's wage demands – Newcastle were outraged when the player demanded a large increase on his present 50,000-a-week deal, hence their willingness to offload him.
But he could prove a very good buy for that low price, which still represents good business for Newcastle.
Loic Remy
Liverpool have already stated their interest in Marseille's Remy, who has been spent most of the domestic season so far warming the bench. A strange way to treat a frontman who scored 20 goals in 42 outings last season.
For this reason, Remy, 25, is being courted by a number of leading English clubs and Liverpool could find themselves outbid by Chelsea, who, ironically, would have signed him in the summer but for Liverpool's unwillingness to take Sturridge permanently.
Prolific: Loic Remy (left) has spent most of the season so far warming the bench at Marseille
Now the two clubs are about to go head-to-head again, with Chelsea looking to direct the proceeds from Sturridge's sale towards the Frenchman, who can play up top or on the flanks.
While Chelsea can offer him Champions League football, he might find opportunities more restricted than he would at Liverpool given the wealth of attacking talent at Stamford Bridge.
Jurgen Locadia
An 18-year-old frontman making waves for PSV Eindhoven over in Holland, Locadia's progress is reportedly being monitored by Liverpool. He scored a 11-minute hat-trick on his debut in a 6-0 victory over VVV Venlo before the international week, the first time this has happened in the Eredivisie since 1969.
Young talent: Jurgen Locadia scored a hat-trick on debut for PSV Eindhoven at the weekend
It's really not a good idea to judge Locadia on the basis of 22 minutes of first-team action, though Liverpool may have been wise in tracking him from an early age if he develops into a prolific goalscorer.
If Rodgers signs him in January, it's unlikely to instantly solve the pressing problem of where the goals are going to come from either.
Paper nonsense as per usual. Hooper will still be a Celtic player in January. No doubt about it.
- Dylan , London, 18/10/2012 17:01
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