{"id":269565,"date":"2025-07-17T14:49:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T14:49:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/269565\/"},"modified":"2025-07-17T14:49:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T14:49:13","slug":"hugos-boss-why-liverpool-and-ekitike-can-take-each-other-to-the-next-level","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/269565\/","title":{"rendered":"Hugo’s Boss: Why Liverpool and Ekitik\u00e9 Can Take Each Other to the Next Level"},"content":{"rendered":"

A whirlwind transfer
\ntussle between Liverpool and Newcastle United looks to have ended
\nin favour of the Premier League champions, but what will Hugo
\nEkitik\u00e9<\/a> bring to the Reds, and is he a good alternative to
\nAlexander Isak?<\/strong><\/p>\n

After a fantastic season in Germany, Hugo Ekitik\u00e9 looks set to
\nbe the next player to make a big-money move to the Premier
\nLeague<\/a>. Newcastle
\nUnited<\/a> appeared to be in pole position for his signature until
\nLiverpool<\/a>
\nstepped up their pursuit of the 23-year-old striker from Eintracht
\nFrankfurt<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Liverpool\u2019s first choice was seemingly Alexander
\nIsak<\/a>, but with Newcastle staunch in their position that he\u2019s
\nnot for sale, attention was diverted to Ekitik\u00e9, the player Eddie
\nHowe wanted to partner their Swedish striker.<\/p>\n

Neither club looks like having both Ekitik\u00e9 and Isak in
\ntheir squad for next season, but are Liverpool really having to
\nsettle for second best? The statistics suggest maybe not.<\/p>\n

Tricky Beginnings<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ekitik\u00e9 made his top-flight debut in France in October 2020 at
\nhometown club Stade de
\nReims<\/a>, but despite two Ligue 1<\/a> substitute
\nappearances in 2020-21, he had to wait nearly a year for another
\nfirst-team opportunity.<\/p>\n

New coach \u00d3scar Garc\u00eda put his faith in the then 19-year-old,
\ngradually building up his minutes after playing him off the bench
\nin Reims\u2019 opening-day draw at Nice in 2021-22.<\/p>\n

His breakthrough season in France saw him end with a very
\nrespectable 10 goals in 24 appearances and with one of the best
\nminutes-per-goal ratios in the French top flight (127).<\/p>\n

Ekitik\u00e9\u2019s impact on the team was clear, scoring twice as many
\ngoals as any other player at Reims and recording a team-high 13
\ngoal involvements, which helped him secure four of the nine Player
\nof the Month awards at the club in 2021-22.<\/p>\n

\"Hugo<\/p>\n

Ekitik\u00e9 was the obvious jewel in the Reims crown; a standout
\nplayer in an ordinary side, and this is when Newcastle\u2019s interest
\nfirst developed. The Magpies reportedly made an offer for the
\nteenager, but no move materialised until he eventually chose
\nParis
\nSaint-Germain<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That transfer began as a season-long loan in the French capital
\nfor the 2022-23 season, with Ekitik\u00e9 arriving as a relatively
\ninexperienced forward and trying to compete with the already
\nsensational talents of Kylian
\nMbapp\u00e9<\/a>, Neymar and Lionel Messi. As a result, his playing time
\nwas largely restricted to appearances off the bench, coming on as a
\nsubstitute in more Ligue 1 matches (13) than he started that
\ncampaign.<\/p>\n

With only Renato Sanches (462) playing more minutes as
\nsubstitute in Ligue 1 for PSG than Ekitik\u00e9 (352) in his first
\nseason at the club, he would have hoped to kick on in 2023-24. But
\nMauricio Pochettino left as coach, and his successor, Christophe
\nGaltier, had other plans.<\/p>\n

Despite his loan move being made permanent and the exits of
\nNeymar and Messi after 2022-23, Ekitik\u00e9\u2019s chances at PSG almost
\nentirely disappeared in 2023-24, not helped by the arrivals of
\nOusmane
\nDemb\u00e9l\u00e9<\/a>,
\nRandal Kolo Muani<\/a> and Gon\u00e7alo
\nRamos<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The nine minutes he played as a sub in the opening-day draw with
\nLorient was the only game time Ekitik\u00e9 saw in the first half of the
\ncampaign. Eintracht Frankfurt offered him a way out and the
\nopportunity of a fresh start in Germany in January 2024. Taking up
\nthat offer changed the trajectory of his career.<\/p>\n

An Attack-Minded Monster<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

A relatively slow start at Eintracht saw Ekitik\u00e9 gradually
\nintegrated into Dino Toppm\u00f6ller\u2019s side. Following his signing on 1
\nFebruary 2024, the youngster made just two starts and accumulated
\n312 minutes out of a possible 900 across his new club\u2019s first 10
\nBundesliga games after signing.<\/p>\n

Toppm\u00f6ller handed him his third league start in the home meeting
\nwith FC Augsburg on 19 April, and everything began to click. His
\nfour goals and five goal involvements in Frankfurt\u2019s final five
\ngames of the Bundesliga season from that game on were more than any
\nother player at the club, while nobody created more chances from
\nopen play (7).<\/p>\n

Since that day, only Harry
\nKane<\/a> (39) and Andrej
\nKramaric<\/a> (29) have been involved in more goals than Ekitik\u00e9\u2019s
\n28 (19 goals, 9 assists) in the German top flight.<\/p>\n

Making the move to Germany permanent ahead of 2024-25, he signed
\na four-year deal with Eintracht. But both parties knew that if his
\nform continued how it left off in his final months on loan from
\nPSG, he wouldn\u2019t be there for long.<\/p>\n

Now, a year later, Ekitik\u00e9 looks set to move to the Premier
\nLeague for a fee over three times what Eintracht paid for him. His
\nattacking output in 2024-25 might explain why.<\/p>\n

At a top level, his 15 goals saw him finish as the joint-sixth
\nhighest scorer in the Bundesliga in 2024-25, while only seven
\nplayers assisted more than his eight. Ranking joint fourth for
\ntotal goal involvements (23), he helped Eintracht secure their best
\nleague finish in 13 years and secure qualification to the UEFA
\nChampions League.<\/p>\n

He was adept at bringing teammates into play, ranking seventh
\nfor open-play chance creation (44) in the league, but it\u2019s his
\nability to pop up in dangerous areas that was the most
\neye-catching.<\/p>\n

Across the top five European leagues in 2024-25, Ekitik\u00e9 was one
\nof just four players to play at least 1,500 minutes and average
\nboth more than four shots per 90 (4.1) and over seven
\ntouches in the opposition box per 90 (7.2) alongside Lamine Yamal,
\nMbapp\u00e9 and Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 \u2013 that\u2019s certainly esteemed company to keep.<\/p>\n

Drilling into the underlying numbers further, he has elite
\nattacking output when considering non-penalty xG and xG assisted,
\ntoo.<\/p>\n

Again, only looking at players to play at least 1,500 minutes
\nacross the top five European leagues in 2024-25, Ekitik\u00e9 ranked
\nfifth for non-penalty xG per 90 (0.67) and among the top 50 for xG
\nassisted (0.24). He was higher than Isak in both metrics.<\/p>\n

\"xg<\/p>\n

As both a threat in front of goal as well as creatively, that
\nplaced Ekitik\u00e9 among the most threatening attacking players in
\nEuropean football last season.<\/p>\n

Of attacking midfielders, wingers and forwards to play 1,500
\nminutes across those top five European leagues, only a select few
\nwere able to average a higher combined non-penalty xG and xG
\nassisted per 90 than him (0.91).<\/p>\n

\"xG<\/p>\n

Doubts Raised Over Finishing<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ekitik\u00e9\u2019s knack of being able to get himself into great
\npositions in front of goal was clear in 2024-25, with the Frenchman
\naccumulating the third-highest xG total from non-penalty shots
\nacross the top five European leagues (19.2) and ranking joint sixth
\nfor non-penalty shots inside the box (85).<\/p>\n

\"Hugo<\/p>\n

But this also had a downside, as it gave him more chances to
\nmiss. Overall, he scored 14 goals from non-penalty shots in the
\nBundesliga last season, with that underperformance (-5.2) compared
\nto his xG (19.2) the highest across the major European leagues.<\/p>\n

Of the 38 players to attempt at least 80 non-penalty shots
\nacross the top five leagues in 2024-25, his average shot quality
\nwas among the best (0.17 \u2013 joint sixth), but he converted just
\n12.3% of these shots, which placed him 23rd. Comparing that to
\nIsak, whose average shot quality wasn\u2019t too dissimilar (0.18) and
\nscored with 20% of such shots, could alarm some Liverpool fans.
\nIt\u2019s crucial to take these numbers with a pinch of salt,
\nthough.<\/p>\n

Ekitik\u00e9 is young. He\u2019s still yet to play a league game as a
\n23-year-old following his birthday in June, and with just 5,817
\nminutes of top-flight league football under his belt, he is still
\nrefining his craft. Having the ability to train and play with elite
\nplayers at Liverpool, not to mention the guidance of Arne Slot,
\ncould elevate his performances.<\/p>\n

Underperformance of xG isn\u2019t a red flag for finishing quality
\nunless sustained over a considerable amount of time \u2013 the same goes
\nfor the opposite too; if someone scores a lot of goals from a
\nrelatively low xG total over a period of one or two seasons, that
\ndoesn\u2019t immediately qualify them as a legendary finisher.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also crucial to analyse Ekitik\u00e9\u2019s shooting statistics with
\nthe consideration that Eintracht were one of the most prolific
\nsides at attacking in transition last season. They led the
\nBundesliga for shots attempted (53) and goals from (12) fast breaks
\nlast season. The only team to post higher numbers across the top
\nfive European leagues in 2024-25? That would be Liverpool.<\/p>\n

The Reds had 66 shot-ending fast-breaks and scored 14 of those,
\nso adding a player who\u2019s good at running with the ball seems a
\nno-brainer.<\/p>\n

Ekitik\u00e9 thrived in the space created while attacking in
\ntransition at Frankfurt, and only three players across Europe\u2019s top
\nfive leagues had more shots following ball carries in 2024-25 than
\nhe did (44) \u2013 Yamal (56), Mbapp\u00e9 (50) and Mason Greenwood (45).<\/p>\n

\"Hugo<\/p>\n

Working Hard Out of
\nPossession<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Eintracht Frankfurt weren\u2019t a side who based their game around a
\nhigh press in the Bundesliga last season. They ranked about midway
\nin the competition for PPDA (opposition passes per defensive
\naction), while only six of the 17 other clubs made fewer high
\nturnovers in 2024-25.<\/p>\n

But when they did press high up the pitch, they made it
\ncount.<\/p>\n

Just five teams saw a greater proportion of their high turnovers
\nend in shots (16.7%), and only Borussia Dortmund (3.4%) and Bayern
\nMunich (4.6%) had a greater share lead to goals than Eintracht
\n3.2%.<\/p>\n

Based on Opta Vision<\/a> data,
\nwhich combines computer vision and generative AI techniques to
\nprovide dynamic off-ball metrics, Ekitik\u00e9 played a big part in
\nthis.<\/p>\n

Despite many of Eintracht\u2019s overall pressing numbers being in
\nthe lower half of the Bundesliga, the Frenchman ranked in the top
\nseven players in the competition for pressures applied (both
\noverall and those deemed high pressure) in the opposition\u2019s half
\nand final-third pressures applied (again, both overall and high
\npressure).<\/p>\n

When Eintracht did press high up the pitch, it was quite often
\nEkitik\u00e9 putting in the hard yards. Across all players at the club
\nlast season, he averaged 15.3 high-intensity pressures in the final
\nthird per 90 minutes, which was more than any teammate (Mario G\u00f6tze
\naveraged the next most, with 12.6 per 90).<\/p>\n

Newcastle would have been an interesting destination for
\nEkitik\u00e9, as the Magpies showed similarities with Eintracht, in that
\nthey weren\u2019t prolific at pressing high up the pitch but were highly
\nefficient. For instance, only Nottingham Forest (4.3%) saw a higher
\nproportion of high turnovers end in a goal than they did (3.7%),
\nwhile their proportion of high turnovers ending in shots (19.5%)
\nwas bettered by just three teams in 2024-25 \u2013 all despite tallying
\nthe 14th-most high turnovers (241).<\/p>\n

With Isak seemingly staying put at Newcastle, it\u2019s clear why
\nLiverpool diverted their attentions to the 23-year-old French
\nforward. Stylistically, they are very similar.<\/p>\n

Isak played an almost identical role in Newcastle\u2019s press as
\nEkitik\u00e9 did at Eintracht last season.<\/p>\n

Like Ekitik\u00e9, Isak was one of the most prolific final-third
\npressers in the Premier League last campaign, ranking fifth overall
\nfor final-third pressures applied and third for high-intensity
\nfinal-third pressures despite Newcastle being mid-ranking in the
\nPremier League as a team.<\/p>\n

Isak averaged a team-high 19.6 high-intensity pressures per 90
\nin the Premier League last season, leading the way in the metric
\nfor Newcastle, with only Anthony Gordon (15.0) averaging nearly as
\nmany as the Swede.<\/p>\n

Using our
\nOpta Player Radars<\/a>, we can compare different players\u2019 rankings
\nacross various aspects of the game based on their position, and
\nproduce a similarity score.<\/p>\n

Last season, the player deemed most like Ekitik\u00e9 based on their
\nstatistical output was Isak, with an 84% similarity. If Isak was
\nLiverpool\u2019s first choice then Ekitik\u00e9 isn\u2019t an unconventional
\nsecond.<\/p>\n

\"Hugo<\/p>\n

What Next for Ekitik\u00e9?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Moving to Liverpool has the potential to elevate Ekitik\u00e9\u2019s game
\nto the next level. His previous transfer to one of Europe\u2019s biggest
\nclubs didn\u2019t work out so well, but with 18 months of experience in
\nthe Bundesliga at Eintracht Frankfurt under his belt, he has become
\na more rounded player.<\/p>\n

Despite winning the Premier League this season, Slot and
\nLiverpool have already strengthened their squad with the signings
\nof Milos
\nKerkez<\/a>, Florian
\nWirtz<\/a> and
\nJeremie Frimpong<\/a> \u2013 the latter two also from the Bundesliga.<\/p>\n

With Federico
\nChiesa<\/a>\u2019s fitness questionable at best, both Darwin
\nN\u00fa\u00f1ez<\/a> and Luis
\nD\u00edaz<\/a> strongly linked with departures in this transfer window,
\nand the tragic death of Diogo Jota, another attacking option is
\nneeded to provide competition \u2013 and support \u2013 for Mohamed
\nSalah<\/a> and Cody
\nGakpo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Alexander Isak seemingly won\u2019t be that player, but Hugo Ekitik\u00e9
\nis about as close to him as you can get.<\/p>\n

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