Liverpool transfer target Hugo Ekitike has again shown why he could be an exciting signing this summer, following an eye-catching performance in Europe.
The Eintracht Frankfurt attacker has been linked with a move to the Reds this week, with the Frenchman reportedly on their summer shortlist.
Ekitike is said to be a player Liverpool have been “monitoring closely and have been for some time,” according to the Daily Mail‘s Lewis Steele, suggesting he could be the man to lead the line.
On Thursday night, the 22-year-old’s brilliance came to the fore once again, as Frankfurt visited Tottenham in the Europa League quarter-finals.
Ekitike ruthlessly opened the scoring in the first leg tie, bending an unstoppable finish past Guglielmo Vicario, as he fired home his 20th goal of the season.
A Pedro Porro back-heel ended up securing Spurs a 1-1 draw, but the Frankfurt striker was one of the standout performers in north London.
No player had more shots on the night than Ekitike (two), per FotMob, and he also had the most attempts on target out of both sides.
It was another strong audition amid Liverpool’s interest, with Ekitike looking like a superb alternative to Newcastle‘s Alexander Isak this summer.
It’s now 24 goals in just 57 appearances for Frankfurt since joining from Paris Saint-Germain last year, with former Netherlands midfielder Wesley Sneijder even comparing him to Kylian Mbappe and Neymar recently.
“I might say something really crazy, but I’ll say it anyway: I think he’s a mix between Neymar and [Kylian] Mbappe. I sincerely think so,” Sneijder said.
“He has the grace of Neymar, but also the movements of Mbappe.
“To suddenly accelerate, that’s something that Mbappe also has. And he’s only 22 years old. There’s really a lot of potential in this boy.”
Ekitike not only looks like a great option for the long-term at Liverpool, but also an immediate upgrade on Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez.
Doubts are persisting over the pair’s futures at Anfield, with the former injury-prone and the latter still too hit-and-miss in his performances.
Ekitike (20) has scored more goals than Jota and Nunez combined (16) in all competitions this season, and Liverpool should be viewing him as a primary target.
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