Also, it's 90m Euros v 150m Pounds.
So about twice the price. Not saying Isak isn't a magnitude better, but still...
Hugo Boss
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Also, it's 90m Euros v 150m Pounds.
So about twice the price. Not saying Isak isn't a magnitude better, but still...
I don't think they have elite pace, he's quick enough and is a powerful runner like Haaland, but I wouldn't say they were quick in the same way that other players are. Gapko's a strong runner too but I wouldn't say he was rapid.
I’m sold on this move, but part of me thinks we’ll regret not going for Joao Pedro. But let’s see.
Love this guys profile, and easy to understand why we weren’t in for him last season.
Also we might have a next gen striker in our ranks in Danns, we just need him to finish his physical development and settle into a routine of regular minutes
Love this guys profile, and easy to understand why we weren’t in for him last season.
Also we might have a next gen striker in our ranks in Danns, we just need him to finish his physical development and settle into a routine of regular minutes
Both Torres or Haaland have/had elite pace
Imho.
Haaland was top 10 in the PL last season.
Ekitike has great acceleration, but also a high top speed that will benefit us greatly.
35.53 km/h top speed places him as the fastest player in our team compared to the 24/25 squad, and roughly the 11th fastest player in the PL according to Opta.
His acceleration is the most important addition to our attacking game though.
I don't think we're going for another striker after Ekitike. It's Rodrygo and Guehi (no Konate sale) and then we're done for a 10/10 Summer transfer window, the likes of which we'll never see again !
Not sure why his defensive stats look so good as this piece in the Bbc suggests he's not really used to high pressing:
"There is, though, a question mark around whether Ekitike will manage to up his goals and assists and find consistent high figures in this department; as well as if he can deploy an aggressive high-press style since he has not been exposed to that at Frankfurt."
Frankfurt has been able to do it, though. I understand that, given our increased budget for transfers and wages, we don't need to take risks. Though Ekitike at his price is a significant risk.
On paper, we have been brilliant. It's surreal watching us go for Wirtz and then breaking that record by trying for Isak. At the same point, I don't see any out-of-the-box solutions from our data nerds here in terms of our targets.
I love that we are now behaving like a diet Real Madrid, but I also don't see any value multiplier signings in the current lot - Coutinho, Robertson, Mane, Salah level, who exploded into a whole new level within a few months of signings. Even our summer intern, Ibiza Smadtke, delivered Endo on a budget while chugging beer on a beach.
Maybe it will come later in the window? A clever purchase for a striker or defender cover.
These are less extreme as what you've put, but I do think Kerkez will be proven to be criminally undervalued by the end of his contract. He's was already worth £60M at the point of sale, IMO, and if he's not north of £80M by the end of year 2 or 3 then I'll be amazed. Plenty of room for rise in value of Frimpong, too. Even if he doesn't explode and proves himself a steady first-teamer his value at least doubles.
Another way of looking at it is if we are behaving like a diet Real Madrid, we don't need value multiplier signings like we did in the past because we're not looking to make crazy profit to sustain ourselves further down the line. We just need to make sure we add players like Elliot to team regularly as they help balance the books.
It's our years of scrimping and value multiplication under Klopp Scrooge that has enabled today's spree. We'd be bargaining with Sporting for Gyokeres otherwise. I think we need to keep it up, at least for when we need to spend to replace VVD and Salah.
@BILD_Eintracht: Hugo Ekitike’s move to Liverpool is looking increasingly likely. Talks between Liverpool and Eintracht are intense, with both clubs working within a framework that makes a deal very achievable. An improved bid from LFC is expected soon.
The belief is that the transfer will go through, though some details still need ironing out. For now, Ekitike is expected to play in tomorrow’s friendly and join Eintracht’s pre-season US tour.
The belief is that the transfer will go through, though some details still need ironing out. For now, Ekitike is expected to play in tomorrow’s friendly and join Eintracht’s pre-season US tour.
True. But at the same time, you know our squad is not strong enough to handle injuries. We were lucky with that last year. We do need clever signings to pad that up. Slott also seems less likely than Klopp to find solutions using players like Nat Phillips.
There is a very good chance that we have no additions after this window for a quite a long time.
I think the "exposed to that at Frankfurt" is referring to team's style of play. Ability/attitude wise, he certainly has no issue with that. 😉Not sure why his defensive stats look so good as this piece in the Bbc suggests he's not really used to high pressing:
"There is, though, a question mark around whether Ekitike will manage to up his goals and assists and find consistent high figures in this department; as well as if he can deploy an aggressive high-press style since he has not been exposed to that at Frankfurt."
Eintracht Frankfurt weren’t a side who based their game around a high press in the Bundesliga last season. They ranked about midway in the competition for PPDA (opposition passes per defensive action), while only six of the 17 other clubs made fewer high turnovers in 2024-25.
But when they did press high up the pitch, they made it count.
Just five teams saw a greater proportion of their high turnovers end in shots (16.7%), and only Borussia Dortmund (3.4%) and Bayern Munich (4.6%) had a greater share lead to goals than Eintracht 3.2%.
Based on Opta Vision data, which combines computer vision and generative AI techniques to provide dynamic off-ball metrics, Ekitiké played a big part in this.
Despite many of Eintracht’s overall pressing numbers being in the lower half of the Bundesliga, the Frenchman ranked in the top seven players in the competition for pressures applied (both overall and those deemed high pressure) in the opposition’s half and final-third pressures applied (again, both overall and high pressure).
When Eintracht did press high up the pitch, it was quite often Ekitiké putting in the hard yards. Across all players at the club last season, he averaged 15.3 high-intensity pressures in the final third per 90 minutes, which was more than any teammate (Mario Götze averaged the next most, with 12.6 per 90).
If we are that close I'd be surprised if he played in the friendly and totally shocked if he went on tour ! What would the point be? Other than an ACL to scupper gthe whole deal.
Salah maybe next season. VvD maybe the one after (or 5 seasons after who knows with Virgil) !
Regarding "overpaying", when Newcastle signed Isak for €70 million including €5m in add-ons, + 10% sell on fee, he only scored 44 goals in 132 matches during his time at Real Sociedad and "scored just six times in 32 starts in LaLiga, with a further three goals in the Europa League" in his final campaign (xG was 10.8, was only the second player in La Liga with a negative xG than his actual goals) there (coming off his worst goalscoring season since he was a youngster on the fringes of the Borussia Dortmund squad).
Worth noting too that Luis Campos was the one who signed Ekitike for PSG.
Worth noting too that Luis Campos was the one who signed Ekitike for PSG.
Yup. I can see us accepting a huge bid, 150 million plus for Salah from Saudi next season. At which point, we will have to commission a statue for Edwards outside Anfield. If we get Rodrygo also this summer, we are for sure planning for life after our greatest ever signing in the PL era.
Not sure why his defensive stats look so good as this piece in the Bbc suggests he's not really used to high pressing:
"There is, though, a question mark around whether Ekitike will manage to up his goals and assists and find consistent high figures in this department; as well as if he can deploy an aggressive high-press style since he has not been exposed to that at Frankfurt."
View: https://youtu.be/ksbjxm8_vhU?si=TF_RBGHRR-SHlKDF&t=223
Pythagoras compares him to an elite NBA defender in terms of how he works up front.
Really interesting analysis on many fronts. I am more excited now and can even pronounce his name consistently.
Yeah, he is a bit raw and plays in a shit league, with lesser players than the PL, and his xG is total shite innit.
Have faith. Remember when you and I were glazing over Nunes before he went to Watford, we were wrong, he became shit. These guys do talent spotting for a living. They watch the games, they then spend days looking at videos of a target. They follow a science. Klopp had a wonderful eye for talent but he also went with his guts and got things wrong (Ox, Naby, Thiago and Nunez). I don't think Nunez 1st season was a flop but he was recommended to get Isak when he had the choice.
I only posted that so that @dogboy did not have to wait long.
Personally, I have great faith that Ekitike will come good, he is young and will fit in well. Everything about him gives the impression he will be a great success, and I actually prefer him over Isak.
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