It is now official that Liverpool has acquired their new number nine. Hugo Ekitike was announced as a new signing by the Premier League champions on Wednesday evening, following a brief saga involving him and Newcastle United striker, Alexander Isak.
Last week, reports surfaced indicating that Arne Slot’s team was pursuing a transfer exceeding £100 million for the Swedish forward, with Ekitike being considered as his successor at St James’ Park. Nevertheless, the Eintracht Frankfurt player has ultimately joined Anfield, and he is now eager to establish himself as the primary figure for the Reds.
In a transfer that can reach £79 million with add-ons, the French talisman becomes one of the most expensive strikers in football history, adding an element of pressure to his 23-year-old shoulders.
But what convinced the Liverpool decision-makers that Ekitike was the man to play alongside the likes of Mohamed Salah and Florian Wirtz in the red shirt?
In contemporary football, data and analytics play a crucial role. This is particularly true for transfers that approach the £100 million threshold. Liverpool is well-known for its data model, which has successfully identified players like Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Andy Robertson, and many others as viable targets in previous years.
Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes have had a hectic summer, with contact reportedly established with Ektike and his representatives as early as January. This illustrates the extensive groundwork that is undertaken to facilitate these transactions.
Slot is believed to have confirmed his intention to bring Ekitike to Anfield following the conclusion of the title-winning season.
A significant factor influencing this decision was the remarkable data collected on the French forward. The former Paris Saint-Germain striker was only surpassed by two No.9s in the Reds’ data analysis.
Isak was not among them. Instead, the Manchester City powerhouse Erling Haaland and Ektike’s ex-PSG colleague Kylian Mbappe were the only two strikers globally who statistically outperformed the 23-year-old, as reported by Daily Mail journalist Lewis Steele.
Despite scoring an impressive 23 Premier League goals in just 34 appearances last season, Ekitike excelled in other aspects and emerged superior between the two.
This should provide ample reason for enthusiasm among the Anfield supporters regarding the new acquisition, who will now join his teammates on their pre-season tour.