Liverpool and high-class forwards have long stood in a productive affinity, even before Jurgen Klopp changed Anfield’s direction, previously spiralling out of control under Brendan Rodgers’ wing.
There have been many. Mohamed Salah is the cream of the Premier League’s attacking pool right now, indeed one of the greatest players in Liverpool’s history, but Arne Slot’s recognised strikers, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota, have been beset with problems this year.
Nunez, in particular, has been a massive let-down. No transfer figure spent in Liverpool’s long history stretches north of the Uruguayan, who joined from Benfica for £85m in 2022 but, now aged 25, is set to depart this summer having failed to ever reach his potential.
He certainly hasn’t succeeded in replacing Bobby Firmino, one of the greatest modern forwards to grace Merseyside.
Why Bobby Firmino was so special
Liverpool signed Firmino from German club Hoffenheim for £29m in 2015, months before Klopp’s appointment changed everything.
Silky and stylish, he was perfect for Klopp’s gegenpressing style of football, an industrious worker, an intelligent technician and a balletic dancer across the frontline.
Distinctive and the connecting axis from which Salah and Sadio Mane swooped and struck from either flank, the Brazilian left at the end of his contract in 2023 with a legacy that most players could only dream of.
His brilliance is all the more sorely missed due to Nunez’s failure to live up to the billing, and Liverpool appear to yearn for that presence at number nine, ramping up their interest in the next version of the South American star.
Liverpool lining up their next Firmino
As per Caught Offside, Liverpool are looking to repeat their Firmino trick in signing an up-and-comer from the Bundesliga this summer, with Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike in FSG’s scope.
Ekitike has been one of the most talked-about forwards of the current campaign, with his performances catching the eyes of numerous high-profile suitors. Liverpool scouts, indeed, were in attendance when he scored against Tottenham in the Europa League one week ago.
And it’s thought that Liverpool are now moving the 22-year-old up to the top of their summer shopping list, though they would be required to fork out €85m (about £73m).
Why Hugo Ekitike would be perfect for Slot
Alexander Isak would be the dream. But dreams aren’t often bedded in reality, and Newcastle United’s £150m demands are sure to act as a strong repellent on FSG.
And that’s completely fair enough, especially when Ekitike – who data-driven site FBref record as one of Isak’s most statistically similar players – is ostensibly available for half the price.
One of the most attractive parts about Isak’s skill set is that he can marry varying parts of the striker’s game, unleashing himself as a truly dynamic and fearsome force.
Ekitike can be that focal point for Liverpool, indeed replicating Firmino in the process.
Ekitike, like Bobby Dazzler, would be signed from Germany as an up-and-coming attacking talent, albeit with a higher stock.
But the likeness doesn’t end there. Ekitike is not just “one of the best strikers out there,” according to analyst Ben Mattinson, but his protean approach mirrors that of Firmino’s, with Frankfurt correspondent Christopher Michel piling on the praise and claiming “his technique is one of the best in Europe and his foot is like glue for the ball.”
Having struggled to get going as a youngster at Paris Saint-Germain moved on loan to Frankfurt for the latter half of the 2023/24 season before signing permanently for a reported €35m (£30m) fee.
The first impression at his new home was one of promise. He struggled to acclimatise as winter turned to spring, though he finished the campaign off on firm footing, firing home in four of Frankfurt’s final five league matches of 2023/24, assisting in the other.
This season, the seeds of success have bloomed, with the France native having posted 21 goals and nine assists across all competitions, showcasing a balance of output that Firmino would be proud of.
Let’s look at how the players compare. Firmino didn’t play all that much during his final season at Liverpool but you can clearly see the similarities between the two silky forwards, with Ekitike actually proving he has a charged athleticism that could outstrip the Brazilian even in his heyday.
Matches (starts)
28 (26)
25 (13)
Goals
14
11
Assists
5
4
Touches*
34.9
31.2
Shots (on target)*
3.6 (1.4)
1.6 (1.0)
Big chances missed
12
6
Pass completion
77%
80%
Big chances created
9
4
Dribbles*
1.6
0.5
Ball recoveries*
3.1
4.7
Tackles + interceptions*
0.8
1.0
Duels won*
4.0
2.0
This energetic and clinical quality would give Liverpool exactly what they need next season, easing Salah’s burden while giving the likes of Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz (should he stay put) greater license to strike on goal and raise their scoring numbers.
Ekitike is what Liverpool thought Nunez would be, and while he hasn’t yet step foot on Premier League grass, the talented Frenchman has the perfect skill set to front Slot’s system and the data to back it all up.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 7% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 9% for shot-creating actions and the top 5% for all of progressive carries, successful take-ons and touches in the attacking penalty area per 90.
To put that another, more digestible, way: Ekitike is technically gifted, an able runner who not only drives his way into dangerous positions but maximises his chances of making things happen once arriving at such crucial junctures.
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He’s got Liverpool written all over him, and while £73m or thereabouts would put him among the Anfield side’s most expensive signings in history, the pointers suggest this would be a road worth heading down.
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