Hugo Ekitike ‘ready to explode’ as Liverpool move reaches conclusion
Hugo Ekitike looks set to become a Liverpool player with a deal to sign the Frankfurt forward in the final stages.
The Reds had looked to be making a move to sign Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, but after the Magpies held firm on their £150million valuation, Liverpool moved for Ekitike.
And a deal now appears to be in place that will see the forward move to the Premier League in a deal worth around £78m.
Ekitike is expected to lead the line for Arne Slot next season, and will join new signings Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong.
Liverpool move perfect for Ekitike
Liverpool’s attack last season very rarely featured a natural striker. Instead, Slot deployed a fluid front three, preferring to have his wingers drift into the middle when necessary.
Darwin Nunez spent the majority of the season on the bench and can now expect to spend more time there next season, should he stay.
But, in some respects, Ekitike is not a natural number nine either. The Frenchman often likes to occupy spaces out wide, making runs from in to out to receive the ball on the flanks, before cutting back and moving play inside.
He is not your traditional big man up top, and nor should he be. Liverpool’s system encourages, no – demands, movement, and Ekitike is all about movement.
But that does not mean the forward is not capable of scoring bags of goals. In fact, one stat suggests he may be more than able.
Ekitike could ‘explode’
Ekitike scored 15 goals in the Bundesliga for Frankfurt last season, 11 goals behind top-scorer Harry Kane.
But looking their expected goals (xG), the striker should have scored just one less. xG takes every single shot taken in a game, and gives it a number from 0.999, all the way down to 0.001, based on the probability that the shot should find the back of the net.
Essentially, the stat places an average striker in the exact same scenario 1000 times and looks at how many times they score.
Ekitike’s xG last season was 23.09, according to Understat, meaning the model would have expected him to score 23 goals, based on the shots he took.
That could mean two things. One – Ekitike is a poor finisher, but gets in the right position and is often able to get a shot away.
Or two – Ekitike is a ticking time bomb, waiting to find the edge on his finishing and when he does, he will explode into life.
Liverpool clearly believe it is the second one, and based on the striker’s age, 23, they have got a good case.
Strikers often hit their prime in the latter stages of their career, and Ekitike is already performing at a level many never get to.
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