Plainly in the intervening time the Swedish ace is the participant each supporter desires to see at Anfield subsequent season to switch Darwin Nunez.
On paper, it is sensible Isak is likely one of the greatest gamers within the Premier League and he’s a pure goal-scorer.
However delving into the numbers, Newcastle are anticipated to demand anyplace between £120m to £150m for his companies.
On prime of that, Isak has struggled with fixed niggling damage issues. He’s already missed 9 video games for membership and nation this season as a result of accidents and beforehand missed 30 video games for membership and nation throughout his final two seasons.
On common, that works out to round 15 video games out injured per season which he’s on the right track to hit within the present marketing campaign as properly.
Add these issues and his large asking value and it’d make extra sense for Liverpool to look elsewhere.
Greatest Isak Various – Bundesliga Star Ekitike
This might see Liverpool flip their consideration in the direction of Hugo Ekitike, who’s at the moment catching the attention for Eintracht Frankfurt within the Bundesliga.
The membership have been monitoring Ekitike for some time. Liverpool have been taken with him when he broke onto the scene as an adolescent in Ligue 1 whereas at Reims.
And proper now he’s making an awesome case to be the right candidate for Arne Slot’s facet.
Initially, Ekitike is a objective risk. Within the Bundesliga this season, solely Harry Kane has the next xG (16.3) than the Frenchman (16.2).
His 16.67% objective conversion will be improved nevertheless it’s essential to notice that Ekitike continues to be younger and this space of a striker’s recreation usually develops at a later age after they mature.
Take Isak for instance. On the identical age as Ekitike, whereas he was taking part in in La Liga for Actual Sociedad, he had a objective conversion fee of simply 8.33% in the course of the 2021/22 marketing campaign previous to his transfer to the Premier League, the place he’s not averaging a 29.39% objective conversion fee.
What is going to attraction to Liverpool is that he’s stepping into the proper areas and he’s not simply discovering himself in goal-scoring alternatives but in addition creating them as properly.
That is key as a result of Arne Slot has spoken about how he desires his no.9 to be each a facilitator and a creator as properly.
Compared to Isak (0.86 per 90), Ekitike has a a lot greater xG and xA mixed (1.02 per 90).
So on paper, the Frankfurt ahead seems to be extra of an offensive risk and contemplating he’s youthful and extra inexpensive, Liverpool will see this as extra worth for cash.
Away From Objective-Scoring
Ekitike isn’t only a finisher, although. He’s a really well-rounded participant who places in quite a lot of work off the ball.
Amongst forwards, he has the fifth highest prime velocity (35.53km/h) within the Bundesliga and he makes use of his athletic means to devastating impact persistently urgent his opponents. On common, he covers greater than 11km per 90 minutes spent on the pitch for Frankfurt.
He wins greater than 0.42 tackles and interceptions per 90 than Isak whereas averaging 1.04 extra recoveries per 90 as properly.
The Frenchman’s off the ball work is subsequently just a bit bit higher than the Swede’s and once more this marginal distinction juxtaposed by the gargantuan divergence in value makes Ekitike the higher possibility.
That is earlier than we begin to discuss his technical means as properly. Isak is extra of a typical no.9 who likes to run in behind defences. Isak, then again, can do each and he thrives working at defences as properly.
He averages greater than two profitable take-ons per 90, 0.54 greater than Isak whereas additionally averaging 3.06 progressive carries and and 1.63 carries into the opposition’s penalty space.
Ekitike may be very environment friendly at working at defenders and taking them on in a single vs one conditions. He’s able to drifting out huge and drawing defenders away to create areas for Frankfurt’s different attackers.
This might work rather well at Liverpool in a line-up with Dominik Szoboszlai or Mohamed Salah, who would thrive taking part in alongside the Frenchman.
Whereas the dream is Isak for many individuals and it might be nice to see a marquee signing made by the Reds ultimately.
Similar to Liverpool determined again in the summertime of 2023 to not signal Jude Bellingham for the large quantities Borussia Dortmund needed for him, and as a substitute usher in Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister, it might make sense for the Reds to do the identical.
Ekitike is a cheaper different. His arrival would additionally enable Liverpool to speculate into the remainder of Slot’s squad and construct a very sturdy crew.
Provided that Ekitike’s numbers should not too dissimilar to Isak’s and the info suggests he could be a perfect match for Slot, this transfer merely is sensible.
