Hugo Ekitike is making Liverpool forget Alexander Isak

When Hugo Ekitike walked off to a standing ovation at Anfield last weekend, the moment said everything about how quickly he has embedded himself into Liverpool life. As he reached the bench, Alexander Isak gently patted his team-mate on the head. A striker recognising another striker.

For now, that is where Isak remains. The club’s record £125m signing is sidelined with a broken leg and forced to watch from the sidelines. In his absence, Ekitike has not merely filled a gap. He has reshaped expectations.

There has been no sense of urgency around Isak’s return. No murmurs that Liverpool are missing their marquee forward. That alone tells you everything about how impressive Ekitike’s start has been.

Numbers that place him in elite company

The raw output stands up immediately. Since arriving from Eintracht Frankfurt for £79m in the summer, Ekitike has delivered 15 goals and four assists in all competitions. For a 23 year old adapting to a new league, a new country and the weight of expectation at Anfield, that return is exceptional.

There is also history attached to those numbers. When he scored in the FA Cup last month, Ekitike became just the second Liverpool player to score in five different competitions during his debut season, matching a benchmark previously set by Kenny Dalglish.

Statistics alone never tell the full story, but when the data places you alongside club royalty, it deserves attention.

More than a goalscorer

What elevates Ekitike beyond the spreadsheets is how complete he already looks. He has serious pace, an instinctive reading of space and the intelligence to link attacks rather than simply finish them.

In recent weeks, comparisons with Fernando Torres have grown louder, not because of nostalgia but because of the profile. Direct, explosive and devastating when isolated against defenders.

Praise has followed from the highest level. Alan Shearer labelled his second goal against Newcastle United as world class, while Wayne Rooney went further, describing him as one of, if not the best signing in the Premier League this season.

Rooney summed it up neatly. He’s not a number nine, he’s not a number ten. He drifts wide, brings players into the game and he can score. He’s got a bit of everything.

The toe poke that defenders cannot read

One of the most talked about moments of Ekitike’s season came against Newcastle United, when he finished with an unusual toe-poked strike. It looked improvised. In reality, it is rehearsed.

A behind the scenes training clip from July shows him scoring in almost identical fashion. His shooting leg barely draws back, denying goalkeepers any visual cue. The strike is quick, deceptive and brutal.

It is a finish that draws comparisons with Romario, the legendary Brazilian who mastered the art of minimal backlift finishing. For modern defenders and goalkeepers, it is a nightmare to defend against.

Why Liverpool moved early

Liverpool’s interest in Ekitike was not impulsive. Contact was first made in January 2025, with Arne Slot speaking directly to the player towards the end of last season.

The club’s belief was clear. With the help of detailed tracking data, Liverpool felt he could develop into one of Europe’s elite forwards. Their internal assessments of under 23 strikers placed Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Isak and Ekitike in the same tier.

Newcastle United explored a move in the summer, but Ekitike’s mind was already made up. Anfield was the destination.

He has settled quickly, moving into the house previously occupied by Luis Diaz, and embracing the culture of the squad almost immediately.

A personality the fans adore

Off the pitch, Ekitike has become a favourite for reasons beyond football. His social media presence, particularly his second Instagram account, regularly goes viral. The content is relaxed, self-aware and unapologetically authentic.

There was the now famous clip of him hugging a member of the canteen staff, shared by Liverpool under the caption Hugo Hugs. There was also the moment he diverted to a petrol station just to sign autographs after a boot reseller failed to gain access to the training ground.

As Slot put it, He is funny, happy and brings good energy everywhere he goes. From the start, everyone could see how special he is.

Winning over Arne Slot

From day one, Slot recognised Ekitike’s raw tools. The biggest focus was his work without the ball.

Under previous systems, Mohamed Salah would press alongside the striker, while midfielders or full-backs jumped aggressively. This season, Slot has shifted responsibility. The wingers now track full-backs, leaving Ekitike to apply pressure across both centre-halves.

It is demanding work, physically and tactically. Ekitike has embraced it.

One difficult conversation early on centred around physical development. Slot was honest. If Ekitike could help defend set-pieces and hold his ground, it would also help his attacking output, particularly in tight games.

He still needs to get stronger, Slot admitted in December. But he already has. He has everything offensively. Now he can become physically outstanding too.

Built for the Premier League

Like Florian Wirtz, Ekitike arrived from the Bundesliga and immediately entered an individualised bulking programme. The aim was durability, recovery and resilience for two or three matches a week.

The results are visible. As one Liverpool source joked, They both see it when they look in the mirror.

On the pitch, the connection between Ekitike and Wirtz is growing rapidly. Their associative play, a modern evolution of what Roberto Firmino once mastered, is already unlocking stubborn defences.

It is so much fun to play with him, Wirtz said. He knows how you move and how to link together.

Selection headaches to come

With Isak still recovering, Ekitike remains undroppable. He has either scored or assisted every 112 Premier League minutes this season, the best debut ratio at Liverpool since Salah in 2017-18.

Soon, Slot will have choices to make. There is room for both forwards, but right now it is impossible to imagine Liverpool without Ekitike leading the line.

Against Manchester City, he will go head to head with Haaland, the league’s most prolific scorer. It feels fitting.

When asked which striker he studies most, Ekitike pointed to the Norwegian. If I can add something from his game, it would be that.

Ambition has never been in doubt. His favourite films are Whiplash and The Wolf of Wall Street. Stories of obsession, drive and greatness.

The boy from Reims is very much on that path.