Hugo Ekitike is a striker receiving great attention in the Bundesliga after a successful 2024-2025 season in the Eintracht Frankfurt shirt.
The 23-year-old French star is a sought-after target for many clubs, including two teams in the Premier League, Newcastle and Liverpool.
This deal is attractive not only because of the influence of Ekitike in the Bundesliga, it also belongs to the name of Alexander Isak, Newcastle's coveted Liverpool star.
Before giving a signal to want to have Ekitike, Liverpool approved spending £120 million to recruit Isak of Newcastle. At that time, if The Magpies let the Swedish striker leave, they were determined to get a Ekitike to replace him.
However, after reconsidering and valuing Isak at £150 million, Newcastle have lost their Liverpool customer. Now, the "Magpies" themselves have to compete with the "Red Brigade" to get the French star's signature.
If we consider the urgency with Ekitike, Liverpool is the team that needs it more because they do not have a striker of enough class to realize their ambition to be the kings of Europe.
Diogo Jota suddenly passed away and Darwin Nunez did not meet expectations, so Arne Slot really needs a good striker to increase the depth of the squad and can bring guaranteed goals.
Last season in Frankfurt in all competitions, Ekitike had 22 goals and 12 assists. At the age of 23, this number is very convincing for the French striker to debut for big teams in Europe.
The Athletic revealed that Liverpool approved the spending for the deal for around £70 million. Frankfurt has received offers from both Liverpool and Newcastle but Ekitike currently only want to join Anfield. That is a big advantage for The Kop in this deal.
Previously, Newcastle's £65 million offer to Frankfurt for this deal was rejected. Liverpool's current figure is more than 5 million pounds but it is not certain to convince the German team to release him.
In their search for a good striker to compete next season, Liverpool have put Alexander Isak as the priority option. Ekitike's case is not option B, it was only considered as soon as The Kop knew they could not face Isak.
If Nunez goes to Napoli and Diaz also leaves Anfield, Liverpool will consider him no longer a center forward. Last season, Arne Slot played as a center forward for Luis Diaz in many matches.
The Colombian winger used to play well but it was only a temporary solution, not a long-term one. Diaz himself is also looking to go to Barca or Bayern to continue playing on the left wing. That shows that this striker himself is not too excited about playing "number 9".
Compared to Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike has the advantage of being 2 years younger (23 compared to 25,). Isak is preparing to reach the peak of his career, very well with Arne Slot's strategy.
However, Ekitike still has more room to develop when there is still potential. Having Isak will always reassure Slot, but if he owns a Ekitike, the Dutch coach can customize and develop more of these striker skills he does not have.
Hugo Ekitike is a tall, agile striker with skillful technique. He will be a solid support for players outside the box such as Mohamed Salah and Florian Wirtz to shine.
Ekitike is a threat in the box, possessing good movement and counter-attacking ability, the physical strength and ball-holding ability of this striker are also proven to be not a luxury.
