Hugo Ekitike has been linked with a move to Liverpool this summer, so we simulated the 2025/26 season to see how he could perform.
What could happen if Hugo Ekitike joined Liverpool this summer?(Image: Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)
Liverpool could be set to make another huge signing this summer, with the Reds closing in on Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike.
A huge transfer window has already seen Liverpool make a handful of big signings, with Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong all joining the Reds this summer, goalkeepers Freddie Woodman, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Armin Pecsi have also arrived. There could still be some attacking outgoings at the club with both Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez linked with moves away, meaning a new attacker is needed, and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Ekitike seems to be one of Arne Slot’s biggest target.
Ekitike has been linked with a move to Liverpool all summer alongside Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, but with Newcastle dropping their interest in Ekitike, it looks likely Isak will stay, meaning the Reds can now put all of their attention into the Frenchman.
READ MORE: Liverpool agree personal terms with Hugo Ekitike as Eintracht Frankfurt transfer nearsREAD MORE: Hugo Ekitike transfer has been a long time coming with Liverpool interest hidden in plain sight
Slot’s side has agreed personal terms with the striker, but he won’t come cheap. Newcastle United had a bid of €80million (£69.4m) rejected already, with the German club demanding closer to €100m (£86.7m). In 48 games last season, the 22-year-old scored 22 goals and grabbed 12 assists across all competitions.
So, what could happen if Ekitike were to make a move to Liverpool this summer? We used Football Manager 2024 to find out…
Liverpool’s 2025/26 season simulated with Hugo Ekitike
To complete this simulation, we used Football Manager 2024 to sign Ekitike from Frankfurt for their asking price of £86.7m. We then simulated the 2025 summer transfer window and the 2025/26 season to see what could happen.
Ekitike instantly became the Reds’ first-choice striker, and there was no looking back, with the Frenchman winning the Premier League player of the month for August after scoring four goals in his first three games for the club. His impact continued throughout the season, with the 22-year-old ending the campaign as Liverpool’s top goalscorer.
Liverpool’s top goalscorers from the 2025/26 season(Image: Football Manager 24)
In 45 games, Ekitike scored 21 goals and managed three assists, more than anyone else in the squad, including Cody Gakpo (17), Florian Wirtz (15) and Mohamed Salah (13). 17 of his goals came in the Premier League, while four came in the Champions League.
At the end of the 2025/26 season, Football Manager 2024 put together an overall best Liverpool XI, based on performances, statistics, and other metrics. This is what it looked like:
Liverpool’s best XI with Hugo Ekitike(Image: Football Manager 24)
Full Liverpool best XI: (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike.
Ekitike made Liverpool’s best XI, with the Frenchman starting up-front with Gakpo, Wirtz and Salah behind. Conor Bradley was the first-choice right-back with Jeremie Frimpong missing out, while Dominik Szoboszlai also missed out, with Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch starting in the midfield pivot.
A third-round exit in the FA Cup and a fourth-round exit in the Carabao Cup ensured that Liverpool’s complete attention was on the Premier League and Champions League, with the Reds competing for both. Despite a slight wobble in January, Slot’s side were fantastic once again in the Premier League as they defended their title.
Liverpool won the Premier League in the simulation(Image: Football Manager 24)
27 wins, six draws and five defeats saw Liverpool end the season in first place on 87 points, six more than Man City in second and 12 more than Arsenal in third. It was actually three more points than the Reds earned last season, while they also ended the campaign as the league’s top scorers and with the best defence.
Wins against Inter, Napoli and Chelsea saw Liverpool advance through the Champions League knockouts to the final, and despite going 1-0 down to Paris Saint-Germain early on, a second-half brace from Ekitike ensured the Reds won 2-1 to lift the European Cup.