Let me start this by saying that none of the following players are on Falcao's or Cavani's level, at least not yet. But then none of them are as insanely expensive as those two either. Also, it's not just about buying a world-class striker to start for us. We could also use some decent depth upfront, specially if Danny leaves. Preferably, this depth should be young with a lot of potential. In the interest of brevity, I won't waste further time. Here they are:

1) Wilfried Bony

He's the only player on the list that I've never seen play, but people here on WAGHN who have seen him seem to rate him. Highest number of goals in the Eredivisie at the moment and won't be hard to get considering our affiliation with Vitesse. He's only 23 and his physical attributes are impressive.

Estimated Transfer Fee: £12m-£15m





2) Ricky van Wolfswinkel

I like this guy a lot. I saw him play in the Europa League last season and was wondering why there isn't more talk about him. Maybe because he isn't that prolific. Still, he netted 20 goals last season in a total of 28 appearances, out of which 5 were from the bench. He already has 7 goals in 13 games this season. The stats may not be that impressive but he has a lot of potential as he is only 23, which is young for a centre-forward. His overall game is much better in my opinion than a lot of people on this list, perhaps because he got converted to striker from attacking midfielder (correct me if I'm wrong about this). Might as well get him now before he blows up next year or the year after and is suddenly worth £35m.

Approximate Transfer Fee: £15m-£22m

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPfAiYOMCt8&feature=watch-vrec

3) Fernando Llorente

Of all the players on this list, I think Llorente is the most likely to have an immediate impact. Why? Many reasons. Firstly, he's the most experienced player on the list. Secondly, he knows how to be the focal point of a team. Last season in La Liga, Llorente literally carried Athletic Bilbao in a lot of matches. Thirdly, and lastly, the Bilbao attack he played in front of is quite similar to our three musketeers in terms of playing style. His hold-up play is fantastic, he knows how to play with his back to the goal and bring his midfielders into the game, and he is a persistent threat from crosses. His contract is due to expire in the summer so we'll have the upper hand in the negotiations. The only problem I foresee is competition from Juventus and other clubs.

Estimated Transfer Fee: £12m-£16m

4) Demba Ba

Ba is still scoring, unlike his Senegalese counterpart Cisse. And he has had no chronic injury problem. And he has a reported buy-out clause which is pocket-change to us. Is there any valid reason to not buy him? Seems a great depth option to me, regardless of whether he can be our main striker or not.

5) Stevan Jovetic

He might have the brightest future of all the players on this list. The problem is that he's more of a second striker than a proper centre-forward. Anyway, he knows the back of the net and is a very good technical player. And with Oscar, Mata and Hazard behind you, you don't need to be a typical number nine to thrive.

Estimated Transfer Fee: £22m-£26m

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQpEa14ACes

6) Seydou Doumbia

37 goals in all competitions last season, 5 of which came in the Champions League. He's African. Africans always do well in the Premier League. He's only 24, too. Strong, fast, agile and a good finisher.

Estimated Transfer Fee: £18m-£25m





So what do you guys think about these alternatives? Any players on here that you don't rate? Share your views. :)