Liverpool won the Premier League last season, finishing ten points ahead of second-place Arsenal. Few gave Arne Slot a chance to establish himself as a title-race outlier, but he took the division by storm.
And he’s been rewarded in the summer transfer market, with FSG green-lighting ambitious moves for Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz, with the latter signing from Bayer Leverkusen for a British-record £116m.
Navigating the transfer market has become a far more delicate matter for Liverpool after the tragic passing of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva.
But Liverpool’s forward interest dates back to the start of 2025, with Darwin Nunez transfer-listed while the Reds pursued the Premier League title.
Nunez is still set to leave Liverpool, with the Saudi Pro League’s Al-Hilal among the frontrunners, and FSG have worked to sign a replacement.
While nothing’s set in stone, it looks like that replacement is going to be Hugo Ekitike.
The latest on Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool
Liverpool appear to have won the race for Ekitike, with the 23-year-old submitting a transfer request as he looks to inch a move to Merseyside closer.
Newcastle United were also in the mix, but have dropped out following the Reds’ concrete advancements.
Ekitike’s is an unrefined skill set, but with a few tweaks here and there, he could prove a stunning signing for Slot’s cause. After all, talent scout Jacek Kulig remarked that he “could definitely reach world-class striker levels”.
With 22 goals and 12 assists to his name across the 2024/25 campaign, such a claim certainly seems to have some substance.
On Friday morning, Sport BILD reported that Ekitike had linked back up with Frankfurt for training and, as things stand, is slated to join his teammates on their pre-season tour in the United States.
The Reds are closing in on their quarry, but they have another target in their sights, too. You might even say he’s an upgrade on the French forward.
Liverpool lining up another striker
According to transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Liverpool are still pushing to land Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, in spite of their push for Ekitike’s signature and indeed the rebuffed formal approach for the Sweden striker earlier in the week.
Liverpool were willing to put a £120m offer on the table, but the focus shift to Ekitike in recent days speaks of a roadblock between Anfield and St. James’ Park.
Elsewhere, Foot Mercato have revealed that Isak and Newcastle have given Al-Hilal the initial green light to commence discussions over a deal that would send shockwaves through the footballing world.
While this is peculiar news, it perhaps suggests that the Isak saga is not quite finished for Liverpool this summer.
Why Liverpool should sign Alexander Isak
Time was when Liverpool’s owners were widely regarded as being frugal, if effective with their resources. But who can call FSG misers now? Having forked out a shedload on new signings this summer, there’s still more yet to come.
BBC reporter Sami Mokbel believes that Liverpool’s interest in Isak will remain intact regardless of the outcome of the Ekitike saga. One of the French talent’s underlying qualities to have piqued Slot’s interest is his versatility, with a sharp tactical mind and a nimble athleticism making him, as Kulig alluded to, world-class material.
But Isak’s already there, with pundit Alan Shearer hailing his “world-class” level. Indeed, there’s a case that the Swedish gem’s the finest number nine in the game right now, having scored 27 goals and supplied six assists across all competitions for the Magpies in 2024/25. Certainly, he’s the most complete, with pundit Ally McCoist saying: “In terms of his all-round game, he’s unstoppable.”
Without a doubt, Isak would pack a heavier punch than Ekitike, definitely across the next campaign or two. Sure, the Frankfurt man has the potential to become one of the best, but his Swedish counterpart is already there.
Newcastle signed him from Real Sociedad for what still stands as a club-record £63m deal, and injuries have been his only foible.
Instrumental in securing United as a top-end competitor, scoring as they beat Liverpool at Wembley to lift the Carabao Cup and end a 70-year trophy drought, he would revolutionise a Liverpool frontline already packed with high-level quality.
1.
Erling Haaland
97
85 (0.88)
2.
Mohamed Salah
108
66 (0.61)
3.
Alexander Isak
86
54 (0.63)
4.
Ollie Watkins
112
50 (0.45)
5.
Bryan Mbeumo
101
38 (0.38)
And not just a goalscorer, Isak’s completeness can be observed through his FBref data. The stats-led site reveals the 25-year-old ranked among the top 16% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues last season for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for progressive passes, the top 7% for progressive carries, and the top 8% for successful take-ons per 90.
The thing is, Liverpool cannot afford to be so reliant on Mohamed Salah for goals, especially now that the right winger has turned 33. In Isak, Slot would sign a striker with a far superior ball-striking ability than Ekitike; certainly, the Swede is more efficient and economical in his efforts, with a conversion rate to be feared and an impressive rate of creativity besides.
The £120k-per-week forward is just one year away from his penultimate year on Tyneside. Then the alarm bells will be screeching down the St. James’ Park hallways. Perhaps Newcastle will want to cash in for a pretty penny while they still can.
Newcastle, for sure, know that Liverpool are willing to break the British transfer record (again) before summer’s out. And from a Reds perspective, sporting director Richard Hughes will be doing all he can to achieve this, for Isak is the cream of the crop and would certainly arrive as a more accomplished and complete player than Ekitike.
Better than Isak & Ekitike: Liverpool make £142m "monster" a dream target
Liverpool have two primary candidates to bolster their forward line; Alexander Isak & Hugo Ekitike.
1 ByMatt DawsonJul 17, 2025
