Soccer is simple, score more goals than your opponent and you win. Yet, across Europe’s top clubs there’s a massive and looming issue with just that, scoring goals. Clubs like Real Madrid, Chelsea, and Manchester United have all struggled to pin down a striker. Teams are now willing to dish out huge sums of money for young and unproven No. 9s. In an already astronomically inflated transfer market, the strikers that have proven their worth, well, they’re practically priceless. 

To understand why soccer’s most recognizable position has become one of its rarest, it’s important to understand the sport's tactical evolution. For large swathes of the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s, “strike partnerships” were the name of the game. With clubs often setting up in a 4-4-2 formation, it was the connection between the two players up top that drove the goal scoring. Some notable pairings include Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp at Arsenal, Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole at Manchester United, and Andriy Shevchenko and Filippo Inzaghi at A.C. Milan.

Forwards and strikers carried much of the goal scoring weight in years past because of the counter-attacking style that many teams played with. Building up from the back was not a point of emphasis, rather managers looked to find ways to get the ball from defender to striker in the quickest way possible. The result was that frontmen were often left to “hold” the ball up and wait for reinforcements or look for a set piece to score a header. 

The main culprit for the eventual tactical change can most likely be attributed to the country of Spain. Thanks to the Spanish national team’s unbelievable 2010 World Cup squad, along with Barcelona’s dominating 2009-2012 run, the tactics of the sport were flipped on its head. Under a young Pep Guardiola, Barca managed to conquer Europe not with strikers, but with a “tiki-taka,” possession-based style of play. In the system, Lionel Messi managed to become one of the game's greats operating as a false-9. Instead of behaving like a traditional striker and playing in the furthest forward role, Messi would drop deep, helping to link play and carry the ball up field. 

All of the sudden strikers couldn’t be solely goal scorers, they were expected to make passes, dribble with the ball, and operate under heavy pressure. As time moved into the mid to late 2010s, wingers became extremely important for scoring goals. Real Madrid lit the Champions League on fire not with Cristiano Ronaldo playing as striker, but with the Portuguese international playing as a left winger. The 4-3-3 formation would become the go-to for many noteworthy managers like Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. 

However, teams have eventually learned that playing in a low block and allowing squads to have large fractions of the possession can be a good tactic against clubs without a formidable striker. Wingers and false-9’s are rendered useless when they are unable to stretch backlines apart. One recent case of this was in the FIFA Women’s World Cup when Japan beat eventual champions Spain 4-0, despite having 23% possession and over 600 fewer passes.

The cyclical nature of soccer now means that the clubs who previously scoffed at one-dimensional goal scorers are now clamoring for them. Even Pep Guardiola, the contemporary father of “tiki-taka” soccer, has reverted to playing with a traditional forward. The former Barcelona and Bayern manager has enlisted the help of Norwegian poacher Erling Haaland to transform Manchester City. The Manchurian striker wasn’t the only No. 9 who exploded onto the scene last season. Napoli’s Victor Osimhen has also become one of the game’s most sought after players despite solely performing as a goal-scorer. 

While many teams have identified the tactical advantages of securing a more traditional striker, finding a player that can perform in this role has proved exceptionally challenging. Manchester United shelled out £64m for Atalanta forward Rasmus Hojlund, even though the 20-year-old Dane netted just nine goals last season. Real Madrid, one of the world's wealthiest clubs, has started the 2023 campaign with journeyman Spanish striker Joselu because of their inability to sign a young forward over the summer. 

One of the primary issues for teams looking to get a new striker is that the demand simply outweighs the supply. With teams and academies focused on playing without a striker for so long, many young players developed in systems where traditional 9s did not exist. While young midfielders seem to be appearing every other week, the prevalence of young forwards is noticeably lacking. The shortage of options means that clubs with young prospects can control the market entirely, leading to a transfer market with “seller-friendly” prices and players who will likely never live up to their transfer fees.