Thread by @Anddrooll

🧵 Thread - Why Liverpool Want Hugo Ekitike

Liverpool are in advanced talks to sign Hugo Ekitike — and he wants the move. At 23, he is mobile, technical, and pressing-ready

Here’s a breakdown of why this move makes sense now — and long term

#Ekitike #LFC #Liverpool #transfer

Player Profile

First, the basics.

Hugo Ekitike spent the 2024–25 season at Eintracht Frankfurt, finishing with 15 Bundesliga goals and 8 assists in 33 appearances.

He started 29 matches, led the team in xG, and played across multiple forward roles — primarily as a central striker.

A tall, mobile, left-footed forward with flair and pace — he’s a prototype for the modern, multi-functional No.9.

Offensive Profile

What do the underlying stats say about his goal threat?

Ekitike averaged 0.52 non-penalty goals per 90, with 13.86 npxG and 15.96 total xG — among the top 5% of Bundesliga forwards.

He’s a volume shooter:

•2.96 shots per 90
•1.61 shots on target per 90 (99th percentile)
•Shot conversion: ~19%

📊 These numbers show he’s not just a scorer — he consistently gets into elite scoring positions.

Creative Profile

Unlike many traditional strikers, Ekitike creates.

•0.25 xA per 90 (84th percentile)
•1.54 key passes per 90 (82nd percentile)
•Top 3% in combined xG + xA in Europe’s top 5 leagues

He often drops between lines, plays quick vertical combinations, and sets up teammates on the break.

Passing Profile

Ekitike’s passing volume is modest — around 22 passes per 90 — but situationally impactful.

•Pass accuracy: ~76%
•Cross accuracy: 44% (95th percentile)
•Low lateral passes; more intent-based forward passing

He’s not a metronome, but when involved, he’s decisive — especially in wide/half-space areas or during breaks.

Athletic Profile

Ekitike is built for a high-octane system.

•Top speed: 35.5 km/h
•Fastest player in Eintracht’s squad
•Agile and long-striding with sharp acceleration
•Can burst past defenders or carry into space

He also covers ground defensively, often tasked with initiating the press or defending from the front.

With his profile in place, we can now zoom in on the standout traits that separate Ekitike from the average young striker.

Here are four elite-level attributes that make him such an exciting fit for Liverpool

Elite Movement & Positioning

Ekitike’s off-the-ball intelligence is elite.

He consistently times his runs into Zone 14 and near-post gaps, creating space even when tightly marked.

He ended the season with the third-highest non-penalty xG across Europe’s top 5 leagues (~19.2) thanks to his poacher instincts.

He also topped the Bundesliga in shot-ending carries that resulted in chances (35), demonstrating his ability to both create space and follow it.

Creative Vision & Link‑Up Play

Not your typical number 9, Ekitike flaunts creativity…

he recorded 39 open-play chances created (top seven in the Bundesliga), 18 secondary chances, and 52 successful lay-offs—ranking joint-tenth in Bundesliga in this category.

This underlines his playmaking instincts and ability to orchestrate attacks from in and around the box.

His vision and one-touch combinations allowed him to operate effectively between lines and link fluidly with teammates in transition.

Explosive Transition Threat

Ekitike thrived on the break. He led the Bundesliga in shot-ending carries, putting him in elite company (only behind players like Mbappé who played more games).

With a 35.5 km/h top speed, he stretched defenses regularly and was involved in 12 goals scored from fast breaks by Eintracht—he alone contributed four.

Pressing Awareness & Defensive Work‑Rate

While not Frankfurt’s main presser in a low‑block system (14.2 PPDA), he seized high pressing moments intelligently

Timed arched runs into build-ups, interceptions (~0.42 per 90—93rd percentile), and tackled proactively to initiate counter-press traps.

These instincts make him a good fit for Slot’s structured pressing framework.

Even with standout traits, Ekitike has clear areas to sharpen—especially if he is to translate his profile successfully to the Premier League and Liverpool’s system.

Finishing Consistency & Shot Selection

Despite his volume of chances, he underperformed his xG by around –5.2 goals (scored 14 non-penalty goals from 19.2 npxG)—a worrying sign given how elite forwards perform.

His shot conversion rate (~12.3%) ranked him only 23rd among players with 80+ non-penalty attempts—below clinical striker standards.

Many shots came from tight angles or long distances rather than from high-quality areas.

Aerial Duel Inefficiency & Hold‑Up Limitations

Standing at 1.90 m, Ekitike is surprisingly poor in the air—he scored only 1 header all season despite taking 13 header attempts (~<45% duel success)

Rarely acts as a focal point in hold-up play

Physical duels expose his lack of upper-body strength; he often loses out in contact or drifts off in hold-up scenarios.

Inconsistent Build-Up Involvement

Though he can drop deep to link play, Ekitike’s pass volume (22/90) and 77% accuracy are modest.

His build-up impact may be limited in teams demanding high possession involvement.

His first touch under pressure can be inconsistent—work on decision-making and sharper passing in tight central overload scenarios is needed.

How Does He Fit at Liverpool?

Despite his raw edges, Ekitike’s profile screams potential in Arne Slot’s evolving Liverpool system.

Slot’s tactical vision leans on:

•Structured high pressing
•Central overloads in Zone 14
•Quick vertical combinations
•Dynamic positional rotations
•A striker who can finish, create, and press

Ekitike’s mix of intelligent movement, vertical threat, and pressing instincts makes him a strong stylistic match — especially in a team looking to modernize and shift away from the chaotic transition-heavy style of the Klopp era.

Let’s compare him with Liverpool’s current forwards and the other rumored summer targets

Comparing Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool’s Forwards (24/25)

🔴 Hugo Ekitike (Eintracht Frankfurt – Bundesliga)

•🏟️ 33 apps | 15 goals | 8 assists

•⚽️ 0.80 G+A/90 | 0.60 xG/90 | 0.24 xA/90

•📈 npxG + xA: 0.91/90 (99th percentile)

•🎯 4.0 shots/90 | 1.55 SoT/90

•🚀 3.27 progressive carries/90 (94th percentile)

•🧠 Top 3% in Europe for xG + xA

•⚡️ Fast, presses hard, combines centrally

🔴 Darwin Núñez (Liverpool – PL)

•⚽️ 5 goals | 2 assists

•🔢 0.46 xG/90 | 0.15 xA/90

•🎯 2.7 shots/90 | 1.03 SoT/90

•📉 Underperformed xG by ~0.8

•✅ Elite pressing, erratic finishing

🔴 Luis Díaz (Liverpool – PL)

•⚽️ 13 goals | 5 assists

•🔢 0.48 goals/90 | 0.25 xA/90 | 2.1 key passes/90

•🎯 1.77 shots/90 | 63% shot accuracy

•📊 Strong creator, better wide than central

Comparing Ekitike to Linked Targets

🔴 Hugo Ekitike (Eintracht Frankfurt – Bundesliga)

•33 apps | 15 goals | 8 assists → 0.80 G+A/90

•15.96 xG (0.60/90) | 13.86 npxG (0.52/90) → 96–97ᵗʰ percentile

•0.24 xA/90 → npxG + xA ≈ 0.91/90 (99ᵗʰ percentile)

•4.0 shots/90 | 1.55 SoT/90 → top percentiles

•3.27 progressive carries/90 (94ᵗʰ percentile)

⚫ Julian Álvarez (Atlético Madrid – La Liga)

•37 apps | 17 G | 4 A → 0.75 G+A/90, 0.57 xG/90, 0.47 npxG/90 (≈97–98 percentile)

•0.16 xA/90, moderate creativity; 2.22 shots/90, 1.44 SoT/90, ~65% shot accuracy

•Top speed ~34.3 km/h

⚪️Alexander Isak (Newcastle United – PL)

•34 apps | 23 G | 6 A → 0.94 G+A/90, 0.75 xG/90, 0.59 npxG/90 (top 99%)

•0.20 xA/90, 2.48 shots/90, 1.48 SoT/90, 31% conversion (95th percentile)

•Progressive carries ~2.7/90 (72nd), progressive passes/rec ~7/90 (80–83rd)

✅ Bottom line:

Ekitike’s 0.8 G+A/90 and npxG+xA top percentile, combined with elite progressive carry and pressing profiles.

Which shows he offers a more complete, dynamic central package than Liverpool’s current options or most linked targets.

Why He Fits Arne Slot

Let’s break this down tactically.

In Slot’s Feyenoord team — and now at Liverpool — the striker isn’t just a poacher. He must:

•Drop between the lines
•Link with the 10
•Initiate pressing sequences
•Attack the space behind
•Interchange with wingers in vertical triangles

Ekitike’s top speed, off-ball awareness, and combination play fit this perfectly.

Slot would likely deploy him similarly to how he used Santiago Giménez: a vertical outlet who can finish in tight areas, press high, and open lanes for others.

The foundation is already there — Slot’s system could refine and amplify Ekitike’s game dramatically.

What He Needs to Improve to Succeed

To truly thrive at Liverpool, Ekitike must develop in three key areas:

1️⃣ Finishing — Clean up wastefulness and improve shot selection in high-pressure moments. Slot’s system creates quality chances; he’ll need to convert more reliably.

2️⃣ Physicality — Strengthen hold-up play and aerial ability. Premier League defenders will test him; he must learn to shield, retain, and recycle under pressure.

3️⃣ Passing & first touch — Sharpening his decision-making and passing tempo will be vital, especially against deep blocks and when facing a high press.

None of these are unfixable — and Liverpool’s coaching infrastructure is well equipped to elevate him.

Final Verdict

Hugo Ekitike is not just a “talented young striker.”

He’s a rare forward archetype — one who blends athleticism, creativity, pressing intelligence, and scoring threat.

In 2024–25, he showed he can:

✅ Lead a line
✅ Create and finish
✅ Stretch defenses
✅ Press from the front
✅ Adapt across systems

At 23, he’s still learning.

But if Liverpool complete the deal, Arne Slot could shape him into the next evolution of Liverpool’s No.9 — not a clone of Firmino or Núñez, but something new entirely.

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