Does Hugo Ekitike take Liverpool's attack to the next level?

Following Hugo Ekitike's move to Liverpool from Eintracht Frankfurt, football writer Ninad Barbadikar explains why the French striker could be a perfect fit for Arne Slot's side.

Arne Slot’s Liverpool 2.0 blueprint has the final piece of the jigsaw, a new No 9 to spearhead a new era for the Reds, Hugo Ekitike is the one.

The Frenchman brings a great deal of promise to Anfield after two years in the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt, where he scored 15 times and assisted a further eight in Germany’s top flight last season.

In that same period, none of Liverpool’s nominal No 9 options were able to hit double digits and although Mohamed Salah had a stellar campaign, there was perhaps a need for refresh in the forward line, which is where Ekitike comes in.

He has been one of the most sought-after talents for elite clubs over the past year because of his unique technical abilities as a striker making him almost a unicorn of a striker, it’s not hard to see why Slot wants the France Under-21 international in his side.

Progressing through the academy at Reims in France, Ekitike’s career has been thrust into the spotlight ever since his Paris Saint-Germain move in 2022. However, it was his spell in Frankfurt that really brought a new level out of him and has made him the kind of rounded striker that Premier League title-winners would come calling for.

So how will Ekitike change the squad’s dynamics, and will we see a drastic change in how Liverpool play this season?

Where does Ekitike fit in?

Under Slot, Liverpool’s frontline became really fluid last season. Players such as Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo both benefitted from an attack which placed Salah at the centre of everything.

Slot even used Diaz in a "false nine" role last season and Gakpo returned to playing more regularly on the left wing which enhanced his output.

Ekitike will fit right with this sort of fluidity and should expect to be the striker in the system, leading the Liverpool press alongside Florian Wirtz and Salah.

The Frenchman’s tendencies as a forward are different from those of a traditional No 9. Ekitike often drifts wide to receive the ball to his feet and engage in 1v1 duels before cutting inside or attempting one-two combinations with his team-mates. These qualities will add a new dimension to Liverpool’s attack, one which they haven’t necessarily had since Roberto Firmino’s exit.

Before his move to Manchester City, Omar Marmoush struck up a fantastic partnership with Ekitike, one which allowed the Frenchman to have a little more freedom in his movements and runs across the frontline. The second half of the season saw Ekitike play as a lone striker in Eintracht Frankfurt’s 3-4-3 system.

Comparing the underlying metrics of both Darwin Nunez and Ekitike, for their respective career-best Bundesliga as well as Premier League seasons, the Frenchman’s dribbling figures as well as carries are superior to Nunez, which not only points to Ekitike’s style but also how he has been used at Frankfurt. The German side’s transitional approach relies on players who can carry well and hold their own in 1v1 opportunities and Ekitike ticks both of boxes thoroughly.

Nunez 23/24 v Ekitike 24/25 attacking threat comparison

Standing at 6ft 3in, the former Reims man can be difficult to get a hold of when he’s in full stride. In tight spaces, Ekitike has the ability to navigate out of pressure and circulate the ball to his team-mates.

When it comes to his finishing, which is perhaps one of the bigger areas of improvement for him, Ekitike underperformed as per Expected Goals (xG) tally by 6.58, meaning he should have scored at least six more times than he did in the 24/25 Bundesliga season. This gap in finishing, which can be fixed in time, does not take away from everything else he offers in and out of possession.

Given Liverpool’s fluid style in forward areas, Ekitike’s relationship with Salah and Gakpo will be crucial to his success. He will aim to replicate the success he had with Egyptian Marmoush in Germany, when he links up with another in Merseyside.

Salah and Nunez shared a great partnership in the 2023/24 season, where both players were creating for each other and upping each other’s goal and assist numbers. With Ekitike’s preference to drift wide to the left and Salah drifting in, there is every reason to believe it could be the start of an exciting dynamic for the Reds.

Then there is also Wirtz of course, who has shared great partnerships with the likes of Patrick Schick and Victor Boniface while in the Bundesliga.

The German playmaker’s dynamic with the latter, in particular, is something we could see him recreate at Anfield with Ekitike. Both players are spontaneous and unpredictable in possession of the ball and almost always one step ahead of their markers, trying flicks and the kind of combination play that destabilises defences and unlocks low-blocks.

Ekitike’s arrival could take Liverpool’s attack to the next level. He ticks off everything you need from your striker to enable an aggressive and fast attacking approach, something that is expected with every Liverpool side. Like Nunez, Ekitike has pace to burn in transition, but he also can handle himself in 1v1 situations and create shooting opportunities for himself in the blink of an eye.

What is Slot building at Liverpool?

The former PSG forward is the fifth arrival at Anfield this summer, following Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Milos Kerkez. With all of these offensive-minded signings, Slot is seemingly building a faster and leaner Liverpool 2.0 in his second season.

Having replaced Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold with two of the most offensive full-backs across the top five leagues, Liverpool now have the legs to potentially be even more intense in their out of possession approach and catch teams higher up the pitch.

Last season, they led the league for fast breaks generated as well as goals scored from those situations. This is clearly a huge area of focus.

Open-play metrics comparison 24/25

They also had a league-high 98 direct attacks. Slot is trying to enhance Liverpool’s direct strengths whilst retaining his possession-oriented methods. Last season, the Reds completed their build-up sequences 143 times, behind only Arsenal and Man City. Furthermore, Pep Guardiola’s side were the only one to score more from build-up sequences than the Reds, with 10 to Liverpool's total of nine.

It is worth noting that there will be an adjustment period for both Kerkez and Frimpong at full-back. Kerkez arrives from a direct and physical AFC Bournemouth side whose approach emphasises a focus on out-of-possession strengths. Meanwhile Frimpong at Leverkusen has been used as a wing-back and often as a right-sided winger as well, though he did start out in his career at full-back.

In Wirtz, Liverpool have a game-breaking player who will no doubt lighten Salah’s creative responsibilities and put his own stamp on the team. As for Ekitike, he promises a huge deal of upside with his technical skills and should excite Liverpool fans and neutrals alike.

Given their transfer outlay and the type of players they’ve managed to bring in this window, Liverpool are strong candidates to retain the title. However, Arsenal, Man City and Chelsea are strengthening in their own right too, so the 2025/26 season could yet deliver a superb Premier League title race.