Wesley Sneijder once made a truly ‘crazy’ comparison about Hugo Ekitike as striker enters talks with Liverpool

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Liverpool’s summer business is not concluded just yet and a few more big moves could happen.

The Reds clearly know what they want before they attempt to retain the Premier League title next season and they are doing everything in their power to get it.

A striker is now the biggest talking point after concluding the record-breaking Florian Wirtz deal, with the German needing a clinical number nine to feed balls into.

Darwin Nunez is not the man to maximise the 22-year-old’s creative output, however, and he is almost certain to depart Anfield this summer, leaving a vacancy.

Hugo Ekitike is one player Liverpool are linked with and the Frenchman is certainly a viable option to lead the line next season, although he could cost around £85m.

But, former footballer turned pundit Wesley Sneijder was left stunned by Ekitike’s performance against Ajax in the Europa League last season, making a comparison that will excite Liverpool fans for sure.

Wesley Sneijder believes Hugo Ekitike is a mix of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe

Comparing players is always risky due to the pressure it puts on their shoulders, especially if they are young like Ekitike is.

However, sometimes it is hard not to get carried away and likening a player to another can give fans a real sense of what they are getting, with Sneijder’s comparison certainly something to pique Liverpool fans’ interest.

“I might say something really crazy, but I’ll say it anyway: I think he’s a mix between Neymar and Mbappe.,” the Dutchman said post-match of Ajax vs Eintracht Frankfurt back in March, via Foot.Mundo.

“I sincerely think so. He has the grace of Neymar, but also the movements of Mbappe.

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“To suddenly accelerate, that’s something that Mbappe also has. And he’s only 22 years old. There’s really a lot of potential in this boy.”

If Liverpool fans were not sure what they might be getting, they are now, suggesting that a fee of £85m would be an absolute bargain if he hits the heights these two have.

Hugo Ekitike will work perfectly with Mohamed Salah

Strikers nowadays need to do more than just score goals, they also need to be facilitators and bring others into the game.

This is something Ekitike can do very well and, according to The Guardian, he is more than happy to go out wide to let a winger cut inside onto their preferred foot, something Mohamed Salah has done countless times.

At six foot three, he is also the perfect target man for the crosses that Liverpool put in, with new signing Jeremie Frimpong, and soon-to-be new arrival Milos Kerkez, suiting his game perfectly.

His low centre of gravity is also phenomenal given his stature and he is an excellent dribbler, suggesting that he might fit into Arne Slot’s team better than most think.