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Former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol has rejected any suggestion that Hugo Ekitike will struggle in the Premier League, and believes the Reds are about to sign one of the best young strikers in the world.
Ekitike’s move to Liverpool edged closer over the weekend with reports claiming a second bid was submitted by the club. There’s a growing sense that he will sign for the Reds in the coming week, bringing Liverpool’s spending to around the $233 million (£240M) mark this summer.
The arrival of the 23-year-old could see Darwin Nunez move on after three mixed seasons at Anfield. There is strong interest from Saudi Arabia, while he has also been linked with AC Milan in recent days.
There are similarities between Nunez and Ekitike, with both joining Liverpool ahead of their peak years after spells impressing at European clubs with a smaller profile. Neither, though, can be described as a clinical goalscorer at this stage of their careers.
Nicol is unconcerned about that. Speaking on ESPN FC on Sunday, he responded to Frank Leboeuf’s opinion that he was unsure about Ekitike given he struggled at Paris Saint-Germain and has only had one hugely impressive season to date.
"That’s a little harsh Frank," Nicol said. "Just because you signed a player that doesn’t work out, why should that stop you signing another player?
"It’s not like players in the Bundesliga don’t have a history of scoring in the Premier League; Son Heung-min, [Erling] Haaland came from the Bundesliga, Bobby Firmino at Liverpool.
“The guy’s 23 years old, if, like [Darwin] Nunez, Ekitike doesn’t pan out, Liverpool is still going to get a big chunk of that money back.”
What looks most impressive about Ekitike is his vast range of skills. He’s rapid, tall, likes to stretch defences and also capable of dropping deep to collect the ball.
It’s why Liverpool is reportedly willing to pay up to $105M (£78M) for the Eintracht Frankfurt man, although reports differ on the exact price.
“He’s absolutely one of the top strikers in the world right now so you’ve got to pay the going rate,” Nicol added, on the astronomical fee.
“I’ve been racking my brains trying to figure out what this guy can’t do. I can’t find a thing he needs to work on. He’s got every single thing.”
Ekitike netted 22 goals and 12 assists from Frankfurt in all competitions this summer, and looks set to join the Reds despite interest in Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak.
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