Liverpool won the Premier League last season, finishing 10 points ahead of second-place Arsenal. Few people gave Arne Slot the opportunity to establish himself as an outlier in the title race, but he took the division into a storm.
And he was rewarded in the summer transfer market, with FSG signing with ambitious moves from Milos Kerkez, Jeremy Frimpong and Florian Wiltz, the latter signing from Bayer Leverkusen with a UK record of £116 million.
Navigating the transfer market has become a much more sensitive issue for Liverpool after the tragic passing of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva.
However, Liverpool’s forward profits date back to the beginning of 2025, with Darwin Nunes signing up while pursuing a Premier League title.
Nunes is still planning to leave Liverpool, Saudi Arabia’s professional league Alhiral is one of the front runners, and FSG is working to sign an alternative.
None of them are set to stones, but it appears that the replacement will be Hugo Echichique.
Latest news from Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool
Liverpool appears to have won the Ekitique race, and the 23-year-old has submitted a transfer request to command his move to Merseyside.
Newcastle United also joined the mix, but fell out following the progress of the Reds’ concrete.
Ekitike’s is an unrefined skill set, but there were some adjustments here and there, which allowed us to prove a stunning signature for the slot’s cause. After all, Talent Scout Jacek Kulig said he “can definitely reach the world-class striker level.”
With 22 goals and 12 assists in his name throughout the 2024/25 campaign, such claim certainly seems to have some substance.
On Friday morning, SportsBuild reported that Ekitique was going to join his teammates on a preseason tour in the US as things were standing up.
Red is trapped in a quarry, but their vision also has another target. He might even say it’s an upgrade for the French forward.
Liverpool line up another striker
According to Transfer Insider Graeme Bailey, Liverpool is landing Newcastle United’s Alexander Isaac, despite pushing for Ekitique’s signature.
Liverpool was willing to post a £120 million offer on the table, but the recent shift in focus to Ekitique speaks of obstacles between Anfield and St. James Park.
Elsewhere, Foot Mercato revealed that Isaac and Newcastle have launched discussions about the trade that will give Al Hilal the first green light and send shockwaves through the world of football.
This is unique news, but probably suggests that Isaac’s saga is not finished in Liverpool this summer.
Why Liverpool should sign Alexander Isaac
It was a time when Liverpool owners were widely considered frugal bones if they were effective in resources. But who can call FSG Misers now? This summer, we’ve split the emissions of new signatures, so we haven’t come yet.
BBC reporter Sami Mokbel believes Liverpool’s interest in ISAK remains intact, regardless of the outcome of Ekitike Saga. One of the underlying qualities of slot-intriguing French talent is his versatility, with a sharp tactical mind and agile athleticism, which hints at world-class material by Krig.
But Isaac is already there, and critic Alan Shearer celebrates his “world-class” level. Certainly, Swedish gems currently ranked 9th in the game, with cases in which they won six assists and supplied six assists in all magpie competitions in 2024/25. Certainly he is the most complete, and critics’ alliance McCoist says, “From his all-around game perspective, he cannot be stopped.”
Without a doubt, Isak packs heavier punches than Ekitike. Certainly, the Frankfurt man could be one of the best, but his Swedish counterpart is already there.
Newcastle signed him from Real Sociedad for still remaining as a club record £603 million deal.
It helped secure United as a top-end competitor, defeating Liverpool at Wembley to lift the Carabao Cup, helping them score while ending the 70-year trophy drought.
Premier League – Top scorer since 22/23 | |||
---|---|---|---|
# | player | App | Goal (approximately 90) |
1. | Erling Haaland | 97 | 85 (0.88) |
2. | Mohamed is wrong | 108 | 66 (0.61) |
3. | Alexander Isaac | 86 | 54 (0.63) |
4. | Ollie Watkins | 112 | 50 (0.45) |
5. | Brian Mbemo | 101 | 38 (0.38) |
Data from the Transfer Market |
And not only the scorer, Isak’s integrity can be observed through his FBREF data. The statistical-led site reveals shot-making action for the 25-year-old, who ranked in the top 16% of European top five league strikers last season, top 13% of progressive passes, top 7% of progressive carry and top 8% of take-ons per 90.
The problem is that Liverpool cannot afford to rely on Mohamed Sarah for goals. Especially now that the right winger is 33, at Isaac, slot signs a striker with a ball strike ability that is far better than Ekichike. Certainly, the Swedes are more efficient and economical in his efforts, should fear conversion rates, and there is another impressive creativity rate.
The weekly £120K is just a year away from his penultimate year at Tyneside. The alarm bell then screams through the hallways of St. James’ park. Perhaps Newcastle would want to cash out for quite a penny while still able.
Newcastle certainly knows that Liverpool is willing to break the UK transfer record (again) before summer comes. And from the Reds’ perspective, sports director Richard Hughes does everything he can to achieve this. Because Isaac is a cream of crops and certainly arrives as a more skilled and complete player than Ekitique.
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Better than Isak & ekitike: Liverpool targets £142 million “monsters” in their dreams
Liverpool has two major candidates to strengthen their forward line. Alexander Isaac and Hugo Ekichike.