Liverpool’s squad for next season will certainly strike fear into the eyes of their opponents.
After winning the Premier League last season, Reds fans were probably ready to settle in for a relatively quiet summer that saw just a few players come and go.
How wrong they were. Liverpool have not only brought in a handful of new additions but they have gone big at the same time, with their total spending expected to exceed £300m once they have signed Hugo Ekitike.
The Frenchman was wanted by many teams but he only wanted a move to Anfield, with the 23-year-old moving in a deal that could be worth up to £79m.
Not only will he hopefully break Liverpool’s striker curse, but he will improve players around him as well, with one player in particular set to benefit massively.
Hugo Ekitike will make Mohamed Salah even better
Many of the strikers on the market appear to be out-and-out number nines and players who simply only like to put the ball in the back of the net.
Ekitike is very different, however, and is much more of a facilitator and team player, with the Frenchman similar in some ways to Roberto Firmino.
In fact, professional football scout and analyst Umir Irfan believes that he is the perfect Liverpool player as he will also take Mohamed Salah’s game to another level, even if many thought that was not even possible.
“Ekitike is a really impressive player. There’s room for him to improve, which is always an exciting thing – but one thing he does offer is something that is very complementary to the rest of the players around him. I always think that is the most important thing when you sign a player,” Irfan told BBC Sport.
“At Liverpool you have Salah, who you want to maximise for the next couple of years. He’s not a player you want defending loads. With Florian Wirtz and Ekitike – they are both players who press incredibly well.
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“But, it’s not only the defensive side. On the ball Ekitike drops in really well and facilitates play by combining with the midfield really well, almost in a Firmino-like manner.
“That allows players like Salah or Wirtz to come inside and attack further up the pitch more centrally. On top of that, he has a great passing range and willingness to run in behind – whether that is to let other players come inside or free up space for the midfielders behind him.”
Irfan concluded by saying: “He’s a very selfless player in general play and is someone who I think will facilitate Salah’s game really well. But, he is selfish in the box in terms of taking lots of shots, which is always something you want from your number nine.”
Hugo Ekitike has a big point to prove at Liverpool
There is certainly a lot of pressure on Ekitike’s shoulders as not only is he young, but he has come with a hefty price tag too.
The fact that last season was only the second time he reached double digits for goals in the league also suggests that it is a huge gamble, only adding to the pressure.
There has also been a worrying trend with Eintracht Frankfurt strikers that when they have been sold for big money, they have struggled at the next club they have been to, something Ekitike will be hoping to break.
On the eye, he certainly looks like a player with huge potential and it is no wonder Liverpool decided to make a move, but they really need his form to translate over to the Premier League sooner rather than later.
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