Everyone at Football FanCast is devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva. We are sending our thoughts and prayers to their friends, families, teammates and loved ones.
It was just over two years ago that Liverpool ended their pursuit of a certain Jude Bellingham, with reports at the time indicating that the potential cost of signing the Englishman – set to be over £100m – had proven too much of an obstacle to any deal.
Perhaps there was more to the story there, however, as mere months later, the Reds launched a mammoth £111m bid for the signing of Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, albeit with the Ecuadorian ultimately opting to join rivals Chelsea instead.
Despite Jurgen Klopp’s prior claims that he had no interest in making such costly moves – something he later rowed back on – that pursuit of Caicedo indicated that, for the right player, the Anfield hierarchy are willing to splash the cash.
Indeed, the recent £116m signing of Florian Wirtz is the perfect case in point, with a quiet two years on the transfer front having come to an end in statement fashion.
If prior high profile deals are anything to go by – namely the £75m capture of Virgil van Dijk and the £67m move for Alisson – the Reds rarely get it wrong when they do spend big, with it set to be a worrying prospect for the rest of the division if Wirtz does swiftly sparkle on Merseyside.
With the German genius likely to be the centre-piece of a new era at Anfield, now is the time for Richard Hughes and co to build the perfect attack around him.
Latest on Liverpool's search for a striker
Darwin Nunez looks destined for Napoli. Last season’s false nine, Luiz Diaz, is the subject of intense interest from Bayern Munich. If those exits are green-lit, the Premier League champions will surely need to dip into the market once again.
Of course, Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak appears to be the dream target, yet with that deal out of the equation, Arne Slot may well have to settle for the next best thing. Perhaps even the next Isak, if you will.
Well, recent reports from Spain would suggest that Liverpool and Hughes are doing just that, with the claim made that the Reds are accelerating a move for Eintracht Frankfurt star, Hugo Ekitike.
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The suggestion is that the Merseysiders are ‘willing to enter the bidding’ for the 23-year-old, albeit with Chelsea and Manchester United also showing a ‘strong interest’ in the in-demand Frenchman.
Valued at €100m (£85m), the former Paris Saint-Germain man certainly wouldn’t come cheap, although while the race is said to be ‘wide open’, it is claimed that Liverpool are ready to make the ‘first move’.
Forking out for a fee close to the prior club-record addition – including add-ons – of Nunez may have a few supporters fearing the worst, although all the signs point to Ekitike proving a real hit, not least alongside Wirtz.
Why Ekitike would be the dream striker for Wirtz
While Wirtz enjoyed another stellar individual campaign last time out, having chalked up 31 goals and assists in all competitions, it was the year prior where Bayer Leverkusen had truly enjoyed the fruits of his labour.
The German outfit memorably enjoyed an unbeaten domestic season, alongside reaching the Europa League final, with the 22-year-old registering 38 goal involvements from just 49 appearances.
The figurehead of Xabi Alonso’s devastating attack, Wirtz was no doubt aided by the array of talent around him, namely Nigerian striker Victor Boniface. The 24-year-old scored 21 times in 2023/24, 14 of which came in just 23 Bundesliga games.
Patrick Schick
120
20
Amine Adli
101
11
Moussa Diaby
94
10
Alejandro Grimaldo
91
10
Victor Boniface
51
9
Jeremie Frimpong
150
8
Robert Andrich
120
7
Jonas Hoffman
53
5
Exequiel Palacios
109
4
In all, in just 51 games together, Wirtz and Boniface have combined for nine goals, with the former having only achieved more joint goal contributions with four other players, albeit from almost double the number of games.
As noted by the official Bundesliga website during that double-winning campaign, Boniface’s arrival had ‘arguably unlocked the full potential of the Germany international’s offensive ability’, with the pair ‘forming a special chemistry in the final third’.
Such a combination could well be replicated if young Ekitike is brought into the fold at Liverpool, with the former France U21 international noted as a statistically similar player to Boniface, among those in their position in the Bundesliga, as per FBref.
That likeness is particularly seen in the threat they pose in the final third, with Ekitike ranking in the top 5% for shots per 90, as well as in the top 6% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90. Boniface, meanwhile, ranks in the top 3% and the top 8% for those same two metrics, respectively.
Such a single-minded streak doesn’t necessarily mean a selfish streak, however, with the Frankfurt man notably creating 12 ‘big chances’ in the German top-flight last term, as per Sofascore. His Leverkusen counterpart, meanwhile, registered eight ‘big chances’ during that stunning 2023/24 season.
Both towering focal points when leading the line, Ekitike can replicate Boniface’s impact as the man for Wirtz to work around, with the one-time Reims starlet able to combine beautifully with the German amid his talent in possession, having ranked in the top 8% in the Bundesliga for pass completion.
Hailed as the “perfect centre-forward” by TNT Sport pundit Owen Hargreaves, the £85m marksman could also prove to be the ‘perfect’ striker for Wirtz at Liverpool…
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