Liverpool ‘to bin Hugo Ekitike deal’ after major Mateta transfer news
Liverpool’s hunt for a new striker continues ahead of Arne Slot’s second season in charge.
Given the uncertainty regarding Darwin Nunez’s future in L4 and his poor form, Liverpool are in the market for a new striker, becoming a priority for Slot.
Hugo Ekitike has been linked with a move to Anfield, with the French striker coming off the back of an impressive season at Frankfurt.
However, after an update regarding another French striker in Jean-Philippe Mateta, the Reds should be firmly turning their attention to the Crystal Palace man instead.
Liverpool should favour Mateta after recent talks emerge
Ekitike gained high praise after his wonderful Bundesliga campaign and was compared to Karim Benzema by those who watched the 23-year-old last season.
Despite this, Mateta should be the striker Liverpool pursue instead.
FootMercato (14 July) has reported that Mateta’s representatives met with Liverpool in Paris over the past few days, and a potential move has started to gain traction.
A deal for the 28-year-old would be rumoured to cost around £52million.
| Appearances (2024/25 season) | Hugo Ekitike | Jean-Philipe Mateta |
| Appearences | 33 | 37 |
| Goals | 15 | 14 |
| Assists | 8 | 2 |
| Expected goals | 21.67 | 13.53 |
Despite Ekitike’s stats being impressive on paper, the drastic underperformance on his expected goals should be a worry for Liverpool supporters.
Nunez himself is frequently known for underperforming his expected goals, squandering big chance after big chance, and the Reds do not want to sign another offender of this for big money.
In Mateta, Liverpool could bring in someone who scored just one fewer league goal, but overperformed his expected goals, meaning he was a clinical finisher with the chances he was given last season.
On top of this, Mateta has proven he can perform in the Premier League already and will likely be cheaper due to his age.
Age irrelevant when determining Liverpool’s new striker
Some supporters will argue that, given Ekitike’s age, he would be the smarter investment as he could provide a long-term option and is likely to have more room for growth.
Typically, this would be a fair point, but not in this case.
With Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah both extending their deals at Anfield, Liverpool must win in the here and now.
At 34 and 33, respectively, their window of being able to continue to play at a world-class level is a small one at Anfield.
Gambling this window on a young striker who has been known to miss big chances seems like a waste of Salah and van Dijk’s final years in a red shirt.
With Mateta, Liverpool would be signing the finished article, who is ready to contribute in the here and now.
Playing alongside talented players like Florian Wirtz would only elevate Mateta to new heights, with the powerful striker receiving a level and quality of service far beyond what he currently thrives on at Crystal Palace.
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