With multiple reports claiming that Liverpool have agreed a fee of $110 million to sign Hugo Ekitike, the Reds will take their incredible summer of spending to over $370 million.
MORE — Full transfer ins and outs for all Premier League clubs
David Ornstein reported that an “outline agreement” is in place as talks are almost complete between Liverpool and Eintracht Frankfurt and the transfer fee for Ekitike, including add ons, will be over $110 million. The likes of Fabrizio Romano and Sky Sports have since shared similar details, with the former saying that Ekitike has agreed a six-year contract at Liverpool.
But what will Ekitike bring to Liverpool? Where will he fit in to the team as the reigning Premier League champions aim to go back-to-back?
Hugo Ekitike is a perfect fit for Slot’s fluid system
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Ekitike, 23 years old, is a versatile forward who is going to thrive in Arne Slot’s fluid attacking system and this is one of those deals where it makes all the sense in the world.
The French striker is able to play off the shoulder of the last defender and make clever runs in-behind, while he also loves to drift wide and that should open up space for the likes of Mohamed Salah and Florian Wirtz to exploit.
Ekitike’s imminent arrival suggests that Darwin Nunez is on his way out this summer, while the likes of Harvey Elliott and Cody Gakpo will also be pushed further down the pecking order and Luis Diaz continues to be linked with a move away.
After a few years of frugality, Liverpool have gone big on signings and Ekitike, Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Milos Kerkez are set to be regulars for most of the next decade. All of them are on their way up and are hungry to prove they belong at the very top. That is exactly the kind of drive Arne Slot’s side need as they aim to defend their Premier League title and go all the way in the Champions League.
How many goals could Ekitike add to Liverpool?
Ekitike scored 22 goals in all competitions last season — including 15 goals and eight assists in 31 starts in the Bundesliga — as he helped Frankfurt qualify for the Champions League.
His expected goals (xG) tally was 21.7 in the Bundesliga last season, so he got himself into better situations than his goal tally suggests, and if he can continue to improve his finishing he will surely get close to the 30-goal marker in all competitions each season in the future.
It seems like he’s right on the cusp of breaking out into one of the best versatile forwards in Europe and this signing has a similar feel to when Liverpool signed Sadio Mane in the summer of 2016.
Let’s see if Ekitike, and Liverpool’s other new signings, can deliver on the big expectations. Everything is pointing towards more shrewd business, and long-term success, from Michael Edwards, Richard Hughes and Co. behind-the-scenes at Liverpool.
