Arsenal legend Thierry Henry reckons Liverpool target Hugo Ekitike possesses a "very high ceiling" but reckons the striker occasionally "doesn't do the basics very well." The French forward appears destined for Anfield with Eintracht Frankfurt seeking a fee in excess of £80million for him. Ekitike netted over 22 goals across all competitions last term, catching the eye of both Liverpool and Newcastle.
The Magpies saw a £70million bid rejected by Frankfurt, whilst Liverpool - understood to be Ekitike's favoured destination - have now entered advancing negotiations. The Reds have signalled their intent to make an offer and could potentially meet the Bundesliga club's demands. Despite remaining uncapped at senior level for France, playing instead for their U21 setup, Les Bleus legend Henry has identified aspects of the striker's game he admires whilst highlighting clear room for development.
During an appearance on the Rest Is Football podcast last month, Micah Richards, who collaborates with Henry at CBS, revealed the Arsenal icon harboured reservations about Ekitike despite recognising his potential to become a game-changing talent.
The former Manchester City defender explained: "In terms of Ekitike, I've spoken to Thierry about him a lot. He says he's not [necessarily] a frustrating player, but one minute he looks amazing and the next minute he does not do the basics very well. He said if he gets it right and improves then his ceiling could be very, very high."
Ekitike was once on the brink of a move to Newcastle from Reims, with fans and pundits alike touting him as the 'next Thierry Henry'. The Frankfurt forward's style, combining physical prowess with a tendency to cut in from wide positions, has drawn parallels with the former Arsenal legend.
Frankfurt's sporting director Markus Krosche has openly acknowledged that Ekitike's future may lie beyond Deutsche Bank Park. He expressed the club's philosophy of not hindering players' progress, citing the departure of Omar Marmoush to Manchester City as an example.
Krosche shared his thoughts with Sport 1: "He's one of the most interesting strikers on the European market. Hugo has to decide that. I'm glad we have him. If he decides otherwise, that's our motto: If a player develops faster than us, we let him go."
Liverpool, meanwhile, are on the hunt for additional attacking options as Darwin Nunez is tipped to leave Anfield in the coming summer. The Reds, who have sometimes been overly dependent on Mohamed Salah's contributions, are eager to inject more dynamism into their attack.