Liverpool are closing in on a new striker as their move for Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike now looms.
TBR Football understands Liverpool have already agreed personal terms with Ekitike – and have now made a £70million bid for the Frenchman.
Arsenal registered their interest in Ekitike, as did Chelsea and Newcastle, but Liverpool are now pushing to complete a deal themselves.
Oscar Garcia, who coached Ekitike at Stade Reims, has shared what his new club can expect from him, and he also issued some guidance with regards to his coaching.
Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty ImagesOscar Garcia says Hugo Ekitike will need individual coaching
Garcia, speaking to Sky Sports, explained how Ekitike has always been a confident and ambitious player.
“He always was a talented player but some coaches did not like him because of his profile and sometimes because of his character,” said Garcia.
“They were thinking he was a little bit arrogant. He always wanted to be compared with the best ones.”
Ekitike was challenged to reach the levels of two unnamed strikers in the French top flight when he was at Reims, but it wasn’t long before he was aiming to reach Kylian Mbappe’s levels.
In terms of Ekitike’s traits, Garcia said: “He is not a kind of a striker who will be always into the box waiting for a cross, he is very mobile and very difficult to mark.
“He can fit with teams that play more counter-attack but also with teams with more possession, because he has the skill for both styles.
“You do not find many strikers like him at his age. He is tall, fast, mobile, very good one against one, holds the ball and scores goals.”
However, Garcia said Ekitike will need tailored help in coaching to get him to the next level.
“All players can improve,” he continued. “He knows which aspects he can improve on but he also needs help to develop his potential to reach the level that all the people who know him believe he can reach.
“Individual work with him will be fundamental for his development.”
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A mix of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar
Wesley Snijder, one of the best midfielders of his generation, sang Ekitike’s praises earlier this year.
After watching him score against Ajax in March, Sneijder said Ekitike was like a mix between Neymar and Mbappe.
“I’ll tell you, I’ve seen a lot of this boy,” Snijder told Ziggo Sport.
“Now, I may say something really crazy, but I’ll say it anyway, I think he is a mix between Neymar and Mbappe. I sincerely mean that.
“He has that grace from Neymar but also the movements of Mbappe. Suddenly accelerating, that’s something Mbappe also has.
“There is really a lot of potential in this boy.”