Jamie Carragher slams Ekitike suggestion amid Isak news at Liverpool
Arne Slot will have a massive decision to make with Hugo Ekitike at Liverpool next season.
The Reds signed Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt for a package deal worth £79million this summer.
Ekitike could open his Liverpool account at Wembley on Sunday (10 August) as the Merseyside outfit face Crystal Palace in the Community Shield.
However, the 23-year-old may soon have more competition for a place in the starting lineup, with Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak linked to Anfield.
Ekitike can’t play out wide for Liverpool
Jamie Carragher has slammed suggestions of Ekitike playing out wide for Liverpool.
With the prospect of Isak’s exit from the Magpies, the former centre-back doesn’t believe the Reds have made a significant investment just to have the 23-year-old as backup.
Carragher wonders how the Frenchman will get minutes as a centre-forward if the Sweden international arrives at Anfield.
| Competition | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Bundesliga | 33 | 15 | 8 |
Replying to a Liverpool fan suggesting Ekitike can cover for Luis Diaz, Carragher wrote on X (6 August): “When you have a top striker, like Isak, [Erling] Haaland or [Harry] Kane, it’s very difficult to have quality backup as they always play.
“Spurs never had any backup for Kane, Newcastle had an injury-prone Callum Wilson, and Man City had to sell [Jualian] Alvarez because they couldn’t keep him happy.
“£80m is too much to pay for backup. Where does Ekitike get his minutes in his position, not fudging it by putting him on the left? Hard to play together when you’ve spent 115M on Wirtz. And yes, we do need to buy more attackers.”
Slot has changed his system during pre-season at Liverpool
One of the reasons Slot seemingly signed Ekitike at Liverpool was due to his versatility.
The Frenchman caught a lot of fans’ attention with his display against Yokohama FM (30 July).
While the Frenchman played 45 minutes and didn’t score in the 3-1 win at the Nissan Stadium, his work rate and pressing from the front were admirable.
Slot could decide to play two centre-forwards at Liverpool if Isak is signed, but considering the defensive balance needed, the chances of the ex-Frankfurt star playing on the left seem high.
- Newcastle value Isak at £150m.
- Liverpool have already spent close to £300m this summer.
- Slot has Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo on the wings.
The Newcastle striker will definitely be the Dutch manager’s first-choice number nine if the Reds can get a deal over the line, leaving Ekitike to fight for his spot in the team.
If the Merseyside outfit’s performances during pre-season are anything to go by, then supporters should expect a significant change in the system from Slot.
It will be interesting to see how the Dutch manager will juggle so many quality attacking options in the upcoming campaign.
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