The development of refined instruments and techniques for a detailed analysis of the radial velocities (RVs) of stars other than the Sun allows the presence of planetary signals of amplitude below 1m/s to be investigated. Long-term RV surveys allow the detection of Earth-like and super-Earth-like planets in the habitable zones of Sun-like stars, prime targets for future missions for the atmospheric characterization of exoplanets. We present the analysis of the nearby G8 V-type star HD 161098 (V=7.68mag, d=29.75pc). We searched for terrestrial planets in the habitable zone. We combined historical datasets with new data collected in an ongoing blind search program with HARPS, HARPS-N, and ESPRESSO. We utilized recently developed tools to extract RVs and to deal with the analysis of stellar activity. We performed a joint analysis of RVs and activity indicators to separate the planetary signals from those related to activity. We detected two sub-m/s1 signals that we claim as candidate planets. We are not able to confirm their nature with certainty. Candidate HD 161098 b has an orbital period of 72.578_-0.060_^+0.059^d and a minimum mass of 3.63+/-0.59M_{Earth}. HD 161098 c has an orbital period of 682.5-9.9_^+9.5^d and a minimum mass of 7.8_-1.4_^+1.5^M_{Earth}. If confirmed, candidate HD 161098 c would reside in the optimistic habitable zone of the star. We find a magnetic cycle of 4090-130_^+140^d period and a rotation period of 28.22_-0.35_^+0.30^d. Our analysis sets the stage for future observing campaigns of the star, finalized for the confirmation of our results. We are entering the sub-m/s era at long orbital periods with a combination of stellar activity treatment and long-term campaigns.