Frankfurt's Waldstadion knows how to be deafening when it comes to whistling an Eintracht opponent or a former player who has moved to other lands. But according to the German press this Tuesday, Hugo Ekitike has nothing to fear. Having left after only a year and a half with the Eagles, he left behind good memories and above all a very large check (€90 million) signed by Liverpool. The Frenchman thought he was ready for the next level. And he was not wrong, even though he was going through a first crisis of results with the Reds (four consecutive defeats, 3 matches without scoring).
He will have the opportunity to shine on Wednesday evening on a pitch that he knows well, on the occasion of the 3rd day of the Champions League, since the chance of the draw led him to find his former club, the one who believed in him after a period of technical unemployment at PSG. It remains to be seen whether he will start, while his coach Arne Slot is struggling to find the right formula since the XXL recruitment of the Reds. Ekitike was part of it and suffered from it. Arriving before Isak, he saw the Swede arrive in the final hours of the summer transfer window at a price which left little doubt about his potential starting status. But the late arrival of the former Newcastle player allowed him to deliver some remarkable performances and to be adopted by Anfield.
Ekitike demanded by the big English names
It was enough to hear the clamor of the supporters when he came into play against Manchester United on Sunday to understand that the Frenchman had won over his new audience. Unlike Alexander Isak, always silent in the Premier League and unconvincing in the game. So much so that today, many consultants are calling for Ekitike to be established at the forefront of the attack, like Wayne Rooney. “I wouldn't play Isak, he hasn't looked ready since he arrived from Newcastle. He didn't train, didn't do pre-season. It's so important. While Newcastle were training, he probably spent six hours a day at home, on the phone to his agent, trying to get him signed. (…) In terms of performance, he does not deserve to play in front of Ekitike. »
Consultant and former Red Jamie Carragher also wants to see Ekitike starting, but not necessarily in place of Isak, as he explained. “When you spend that amount of money on players, the people who spent it want to see them on the field. I was one of the people who wasn't entirely convinced by Isak's arrival at the club. I thought when you buy Ekitike for £80m and another player for £125m it's not good for Isak to have him on the bench. He always looks behind him, he can't relax. If he hasn't done anything in the first hour, he will be replaced. I think he needs to find a way to play these two players. » Carragher thus proposed a starting eleven with Ekitike in support of Isak, with Wirtz on the left and Salah on the right. And too bad for Cody Gakpo, one of the most successful offensive elements since the start of the season.
Liverpool's recent setbacks certainly do no harm to Hugo Ekitike, who probably hopes to start as a starter tomorrow evening in Frankfurt. He had started on the sidelines during Liverpool's last two matches, and Arne Slot has no room for error for this trip, after losing on the Galatasaray pitch the previous day. Ekitike can do well at the heart of this complicated sequence for Liverpool and be applauded again by the Waldstadion.
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