FSG weren’t mendacity once they mentioned they have been going to spend large this summer time. Liverpool followers wanted to buckle up forward of the summer time switch window, with the Anfield aspect having crossed the £200m mark earlier than even reaching July.
The membership’s full-back issues have been resolved by way of acquisitions of Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, and sporting director Richard Hughes has additionally overseen the shattering of Liverpool’s switch document by signing Florian Wirtz for £100m plus £16m in add-ons, which can make the German the costliest participant in British historical past.
Liverpool aren’t completed but. Whereas Jarell Quansah’s summer time sale to Bayer Leverkusen will open up area in central defence, and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi is the centre of ongoing talks, many followers would level towards the entrance of the ship as the realm most in want of a brush-up.
If and when Napoli signal the unconvincing Darwin Nunez, Hughes will probably be anticipated to discover a focal frontman to steer the road for the Premier League champions subsequent season and past.
What is the newest on Hugo Ekitike
Liverpool want a striker, and the person signed come autumn could become Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike.
The French ahead, 23, loved an incredible breakout 12 months in Germany, main analyst Ben Mattinson to dub him “probably the greatest strikers on the market.”
Liverpool have been on the point of bid for the ahead for some time, however FSG are understandably hesitant given Die Adler’s £85m valuation of their star man.
That is significantly extra reasonably priced than Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, who might set a profitable suitor again £200m this summer time, however nonetheless moderately excessive for a membership having already forked out bucketloads on contemporary skills.
So then, who to go for? Properly, Ekitike’s good, because the graphic above illustrates, however he is not as full and refined as one other switch goal who would require a much more modest outlay.
Liverpool maintain talks for Ekitike various
As per Caught Offside, Liverpool are nonetheless within the race for Sporting CP sensation Viktor Gyokeres, who will nearly actually go away Portugal this summer time after a breakdown in relationships at his outfit.
In truth, the Reds are among the many sides to have opened a dialogue with Sporting, looking for info on the marksman as he prepares to depart the membership.
Arsenal and Manchester United seem to have the sting within the race, but when Liverpool increase their intrigue, there’s each likelihood Arne Slot might safe a top-class marksman for 2025/26.
Gyokeres will probably be out there for a charge decrease than his €100m (£85m) launch clause, with the Liga Portugal champions hoping to financial institution €80m (£68m) for his or her quantity 9’s sale.
What Viktor Gyokeres would deliver to Liverpool
Whereas £68m is a moderately hefty determine, Gyokeres’ performances over the previous couple of years recommend Liverpool would obtain bang for his or her buck.
After becoming a member of the Portuguese aspect from Coventry Metropolis within the Championship for round £20m two years in the past, the Sweden striker has grown into his pores and skin as one in all Europe’s main goalscorers, posting 97 strikes throughout 102 matches for the Leões, aiding 28 targets too.
Whereas the Portuguese high division is not the very best in general high quality, that is to not say that Gyokeres hasn’t proved his price, with the degrees of his scientific taking pictures underscoring his place amongst Europe’s elite. Certainly, the “deadly” ahead has been described as “the most effective finisher on the earth” by soccer statistician Spencer Mossman.
Ekitike has a excessive ceiling, all proper, however he is not but the completed product, and we have seen loads of rising stars not fairly attain their potential when making the cosmic leap into the Premier League, the place the arduous graft solely simply begins.
Trying on the pairings’ contrasted statistics throughout the 2024/25 league marketing campaign, Gyokeres for Sporting and Ekitike in Germany for Frankfurt, it could be that Liverpool ought to go for the extra skilled man.
League Stats 24/25 – Viktor Gyokeres vs Hugo Ekitike | ||
|---|---|---|
Stats (* per sport) | Gyokeres | Ekitike |
Matches (begins) | 33 (31) | 33 (31) |
Targets | 39 | 15 |
Assists | 7 | 8 |
Photographs (on course)* | 4.2 (2.4) | 3.5 (1.5) |
Massive probabilities missed | 23 | 16 |
Cross completion | 73% | 76% |
Massive probabilities created | 11 | 12 |
Key passes* | 1.9 | 1.3 |
Dribbles* | 1.8 | 1.6 |
Ball recoveries* | 2.3 | 2.6 |
Tackles + interceptions* | 0.5 | 0.7 |
Duels (gained)* | 5.5 | 4.2 |
Information by way of Sofascore | ||
Like Ekitike, the 27-year-old is dynamic in his performances, dribbling at a frequent price, getting caught in with duels and offering inventive assist for his teammates, however he is additionally way more prolific and fewer profligate when positioned right into a goalscoring radius.
Furthermore, he ranked among the many high 12% of forwards within the Champions League final time period for purpose contributions, the highest 10% for shot-creating actions and the highest 6% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref, emphasising his potential to do it on the largest stage.
Shot-creating actions are items of play that result in a shot. These embrace moments equivalent to a move, take-on or foul being drawn.
In fact, a blunter illustration could be his emphatic hat-trick in opposition to Manchester Metropolis, selecting Pep Guardiola’s aspect aside final November.
In the end, Liverpool know they need to handle to safe themselves an improve on Nunez this summer time, the Uruguayan solely scoring seven instances for Slot all season, but it surely’s necessary for FSG to choose the proper man.
Gyokeres won’t be the youngest on the block, however he is nonetheless obtained a few years of dependable service forward of him and would certainly present Liverpool with a dependable scoring presence, settled as he could be amongst a few of Europe’s most devastating and dynamic forwards in Wirtz and Salah, and extra in addition to.
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Liverpool could have to implement additional change up high this summer time.
