Liverpool have adopted the mantra that the best form of defence is attack. Certainly, this is true of their summer transfer window so far, having made sweeping changes after winning the Premier League.
Some expected Arne Slot to be relieved of his duties as helmsman before the end of the 2024/25 campaign, let alone win the title with such dispatch.
Always ahead of the rabble, the Reds will now look to defend their title and challenge for more silverware across tournament fronts, well-equipped to do so after signing Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Liverpool transfer targets 2025-1
Though Liverpool are definitely interested in bringing in a centre-back - having attempted to sign Dean Huijsen before he joined Real Madrid and now setting their sights on Marc Guehi - many fans would agree that a centre-forward is more desperately needed.
Wirtz’s world-class playmaking would raise the level of any striker, but it won’t be enough to salvage Darwin Nunez’s Anfield career.
Why Liverpool are selling Darwin Nunez
When Liverpool signed Nunez from Benfica three years ago, they thought they had secured a superstar in the making. Jurgen Klopp led the bid.
darwin-nunez-liverpool-premier-league
However, the Uruguay international, 25, has only scored 25 goals across his three terms in the Premier League, routinely criticised for his wayward finishing.
The pace and pressure that English football applies has foiled many a talented up-and-comer, and though Nunez has had his moments - that winner at the City Ground, that match-winning brace against Brentford - personal triumphs have been few and far between.
Under Slot’s guidance, he has scored seven times in 47 matches. Presenting that data differently, Nunez failed to score across 42 fixtures in 2024/25.
The marriage is over, but it's an amiable divorce. Serie A champions Napoli are currently pushing to sign the striker, and it’s a move that will benefit all parties involved.
Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez
Nunez will enjoy the slower pace of the Italian division. Napoli, then, have the chance to rekindle this maverick, turn him into a chaotic weapon.
And Liverpool? Well, Liverpool will sign someone better.
Liverpool set sights on Nunez upgrade
According to German reporter Christian Falk, Liverpool are still interested in Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike. The sought-after star has been expected to leave Germany this summer, but his club are playing hardball.
Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike-1
Indeed, Liverpool have been joined by Chelsea and Manchester United in considering a deal, but Frankfurt seem set on sticking to their €100m (£85m) valuation, a figure no one will pay.
Falk believes Liverpool will not open contacts with Frankfurt until Nunez's future has been sorted, and a resolution on that front appears to be imminent.
Why Liverpool should sign Hugo Ekitike
Time was when the ballpark of £85m would get you record-breaking players, those of the top brass. Now, such figures make for just another day for clubs looking to stay competitive at the highest level.
That’s not to discredit Ekitike’s skill set; the Frenchman has been called “one of the best strikers out there” by analyst Ben Mattinson, after all.
hugo-ekitike-eintracht-frankfurt-bundesliga
And he could reach some staggering standard, of course. Ekitike is tall and powerful and dynamic, endowed with pace and awareness to combine with a hunger to rattle shots off at goal.
You can only imagine the levels he could reach at Liverpool, combining with someone like Wirtz, whom Xabi Alonso had no qualms about labelling a “genius” of a playmaker for his vision and creative passing.
Florian Wirtz - Past Five Bundesliga Seasons
Season
24/25
23/24
22/23
21/22
20/21
Data via Transfermarkt
Wirtz's ability to score and to assist with regularity would suit a modern-tailored striker like Ekitike to a tee, for he scored 22 goals and assisted 12 more across all competitions in 2024/25, going from strength to strength after arriving in Germany as a loanee in January 2024, scoring four times across the latter half of that Bundesliga season before wrapping the deal up by the end for €35m (£30m).
A lofty figure for a relatively unproven prospect at the time, but who can argue that Frankfurt haven't got bang for their buck now? Ekitike will be sold for a mammoth figure, even if it doesn't quite reach the ballpark that Die Adler are hoping for.
Hugo Ekitike 2024-25 season in numbers (timeless)
While some might have reservations over Ekitike's age, and indeed his rawness, you can only imagine the heights he could reach in front of Liverpool's new record signing, and that's without even considering the magic of Mohamed Salah being sprinkled in from the right too.
Of course, Wirtz will certainly be helped by Ekitike's instinctiveness, the forward's sharp movements and clever flicks apt to cause mayhem for opposing defences when collecting one of Wirtz's surgical passes, his angled crosses, his deft layoffs.
And, furthermore, the rangy talent boasts an underlying skill set to behold, bearing all the dynamism and roundedness that Liverpool typically like from their frontmen.
As per FBref, he finished the Bundesliga campaign ranked among the top 8% of strikers for pass completion, the top 16% for shot-creating actions, the top 6% for progressive carries and the top 3% for successful take-ons per 90.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
No doubt, he'd be a dream for Liverpool's new German superstar, actually praised for his "incredible" style of play by teammate Rasmus Kristensen.
Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike celebrates
Of course, Liverpool would get a more refined and established nine in Alexander Isak, who has demonstrable experience in the Premier League and Champions League, also scoring as Newcastle United beat Slot to the Carabao Cup in March.
However, Ekitike is more affordable and has the potential to grow into a bona fide sensation. Partnered with Wirtz over the coming years, whose elegant and intelligent performances would serve chances to the France talent on gleaming platters, Slot might just hit the jackpot.
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Liverpool are sounding out a series of Alexander Isak alternatives this summer.