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Why Hugo Ekitike was criticised by Eintracht Frankfurt’s manager last season as Liverpool make their move
Liverpool are now pushing to sign French striker Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt.
Hugo Ekitike first started to showcase his talent with Stade Reims in France, form that eventually earned him a move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.
Unfortunately for Ekitike, he was overshadowed by the likes of Kylian Mbappe in the French capital, meaning he was eventually allowed to leave for Eintracht Frankfurt.
Fast-forward to now and the 23-year-old has just scored 22 goals in a 48-game season for Frankfurt, which proved to be a showcase of his rich potential.
As a result, Liverpool have made a bid for Ekitike, and whilst he’s clearly a brilliant talent, his manager in Germany did raise some concerns surrounding his game back in January.
Hugo Ekitike has already been told where he can improve at Liverpool
As quoted by German outlet in January, Dino Toppmoller, Ekitike’s current manager, had some frustrations with the striker’s performance despite scoring twice in a 2-2 draw.
Ekitike scored either side of half-time in a clash with Hoffenheim, and despite his goals, Toppmoller didn’t seem entirely convinced.
READ MORE: Steven Gerrard says he played with a striker at Liverpool who was even better than Fernando Torres
During the match Toppmoller could be seen remonstrating with Ekitike on the sidelines.
And then after the game he said: “Overall, he did his job of scoring goals.”
Toppmoller continued: “He should have been more active in the first half, more deep runs, because then he’s very difficult to defend. We’ve already shown that all of us, not just him, can play better.”
Adding to that, sporting director Markus Krosche highlighted how Ekitike needed to improve — a player Frankfurt clearly held to high standards.
Krosche said: “The two goals are good, but he still has many areas where he can improve. Especially in the first half, he didn’t play well and didn’t move enough.”
Hugo Ekitike is the perfect Alexander Isak alternative
Of course, that’s unlikely to be too much of a concern for Liverpool, who are clearly convinced that they’ve found an excellent talent.
Ekitike did enjoy a strong end to the Bundesliga season following that criticism from his manager, so perhaps it did have a positive impact.
It’s important to point out that Liverpool aren’t buying the finished article, Ekitike can still excel in many more areas of his game, but that must be part of the appeal to Richard Hughes.
Following Liverpool’s brief move for Alexander Isak, it’s often been said that Ekitike is the most similar profile on the market, a striker who can do a bit of everything just like the Newcastle star.
And if Isak is off-limits, then Ekitike is a very clever alternative, even if Liverpool might not be keen for the transfer to be painted as such.