Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool: Playstyle, stats and concerns assessed as Arne Slot looks to sign Eintracht Frankfurt striker

Liverpool appear to have settled on Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike as their preferred target now that a deal for Newcastle United's Alexander Isak looks like it is off the table.

The Reds enter the 2025-26 season in a position of strength having won the Premier League title in the prior campaign, and they have already added considerably to their squad.

Newcomers Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong are sure to boost the club's chances of retaining their crown, and the champions may soon secure the services of Ekitike.

The Frenchman performed well for Eintracht Frankfurt last term, with his rounded skillset making him a standout candidate this summer, though there are concerns about how he can adapt to the demands of Premier League football.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at how Ekitike would fit in at Liverpool, and assesses his chances of success at Anfield.

What does Arne Slot want from his striker at Liverpool?

During Jurgen Klopp's final season in charge of Liverpool, many of his side's best opportunities fell to number nine Darwin Nunez, who missed 27 big chances across the campaign.

That figure was the second most of any player in the division, but in 2024-25 current Reds boss Arne Slot utilised a system that funnelled chances to his wide players.

In fact, while strikers Nunez and Diogo Jota only scored a combined 11 league goals last season, their combined xG tally of 13.7 was significantly lower than the 21.6 tally they managed in 2023-24.

Slot has spoken about his preference for his centre-forward to be comfortable facilitating for others, and it is perhaps not surprising that he opted to deploy Luis Diaz in a false nine role for large periods of his title-winning season.

Considering that talisman Mohamed Salah looks set to stay at Anfield for another two years at least, the Merseysiders' next number nine will have to be comfortable dropping deep to collect the ball, as well as combining with teammates such as Wirtz in pockets of space.

How good is Hugo Ekitike on the ball?

Ekitike would represent a clear upgrade on the ball, with his passing accuracy of 75.5% in the Bundesliga last term better than both Jota (69.9%) and Nunez (70.9%).

The 23-year-old was also significantly impactful when progressing play considering he averaged 15.1 touches in the middle third on a per 90 basis in the German top flight, whereas Jota and Nunez averaged 14.9 and 9.7 per 90 in the Premier League respectively.

Ekitike also played 44 key passes for the Eagles last season, while the two Liverpool strikers played just 11 key passes each.

It should be noted that the Frenchman managed to produce 12 assists in all competitions, a tally only bettered in the Liverpool squad by Salah (23).

In regard to his dribbling ability, Ekitike is adept at carrying the ball over large distances, with his 851 carries in all competitions in 2024-25 considerably more than Nunez (295) and Jota (313) managed.

How good is Hugo Ekitike in the final third?

The forward proved that he can be dangerous in front of goal having scored 22 times in all competitions last term, four more than Cody Gakpo and five more than Diaz totalled in 2024-25.

No other player managed to produce more shots in the Bundesliga in 2024-25 (115), and his ability to generate shooting opportunities should be seen as a positive.

The Frenchman was a threat against Eintracht Frankfurt's toughest opponents, with the forward scoring against the likes of Bayern Munich (one), Borussia Dortmund (one), Tottenham Hotspur (one) and RB Leipzig (one).

However, Ekitike has been criticised for his finishing ability, with the attacker's 15 Bundesliga goals falling short of his 21.6 xG.

Given Liverpool fans have often been frustrated by Nunez's erratic finishing in front of goal, some supporters are concerned that the Reds could be about to sign a similarly inconsistent star.

In Ekitike's defence, some of his underperformance can be attributed to the fact he missed two penalties, and these misses somewhat skew his overall finishing data.

The 23-year-old has shown that he is capable of converting big chances - Salah missed 24 big chances last season while Ekitike missed 16 - but he has proven inefficient when trying to score low-probability efforts.

If Liverpool can consistently provide him with chances inside the penalty area, then he will almost certainly be more ruthless than the likes of Nunez.

Additionally, Ekitike is a willing runner, and his selflessness without the ball could be important in maximising the creativity of both Wirtz and Salah.

The striker's pace up front could be vital when considering Salah and Wirtz are both predominantly ball-to-feet players, and signing someone capable of stretching the last line will be important.

As long as Ekitike can help get Slot's other attackers in positions to excel, then he could become a crucial lynchpin of the Reds' new-look offensive line.