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Liverpool told Hugo Ekitike is actually a bit similar to £29m star who Jurgen Klopp once released
Liverpool have announced the signing of Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Reds were always going to sign a new striker in this window, as Arne Slot has told Darwin Nunez that he will not be a regular starter in the upcoming season.
Liverpool’s dream target was, and still is, Alexander Isak, but after Newcastle United refused to entertain the Merseyside giants’ initial approach, they turned their focus to Ekitike.
The French attacker has made a tremendous name for himself in Germany, and he could replicate another player who Liverpool once signed from the Bundesliga.
Adebayo Akinfenwa says Hugo Ekitike is a bit like Liverpool hero Roberto Firmino
Liverpool signed Roberto Firmino from Hoffenheim in a £29 million deal back in 2015 ().
The Brazilian wasn’t too well known at the time, but he went on to become one of the Reds’ most important players in the years to come.
Firmino played 362 games for Liverpool and directly contributed to 187 goals in all competitions. He was absolutely integral to the success that the club enjoyed under Jurgen Klopp.
However, in the summer of 2023, after eight years at the club, it was decided that Firmino would be released at the end of his contract.
Now, two more years later, Adebayo Akinfenwa believes that Liverpool’s latest signing, Hugo Ekitike, is a bit like Firmino.
He said on talkSPORT: “I think where Liverpool have had their most success is when they’re bringing players that can bring others into play.
“And don’t jump at me, Arsenal fans, saying that Gyokeres can’t, I know he can. I’m just saying that I do think the reason why they’ve kind of signed Ekitike is because of the system going forward.
“I think that, of course, he can do a plethora, multitude of different things, like link play, a bit Firmino-esque in regards to what we’ve got.”
Hugo Ekitike has been compared to another Premier League icon
Ekitike is a tremendous talent.
The striker, still only 23, has played as a backup to Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi in the past, and he must have learned from all of them.
Ekitike’s performances for Frankfurt last season were really impressive as well, and there is no reason why he will not be a star at Anfield.
The Firmino comparison is understandable, but the player he resembles the most, according to the , is a young Thierry Henry.
They wrote about the new Liverpool striker: “Ekitike can be clinical in front of goal, but he’s also a real workhorse.
“Physical and agile, he’s known for his willingness to press from the front and is a real nuisance when dropping deep to receive possession.
“With his silky touch, slick movement and penchant for cutting in off the left-hand flank thrown into the mix, comparisons with a young Thierry Henry are not that wide of the mark.”