Liverpool, it’s probably fair to say, are the team to beat in the Premier League this season. Nine points claimed from nine points available, last year’s champions haven’t played that well so far, and yet stand at the top of the pile as the September international break takes centre stage.
Arne Slot has worked wonders on Merseyside, nurturing the seeds of Jurgen Klopp’s later days in the Anfield dugout and winning the league title in his first year at the helm. Liverpool were not afforded a shot at the title by most pundits, but lift the trophy they did.
And he did it without any real first-team investment. Liverpool missed out on Martin Zubimendi, for example, but Slot fashioned Ryan Gravenberch into a world-class six.
This summer spun a different tale, however, with Liverpool’s ambitions knowing no bounds. Twice the Reds broke the British transfer record through deals for Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.
However, the signing of Hugo Ekitike was also completed, and though he cost a pretty penny, the young forward has what it takes to become a superstar at the club.
Hugo Ekitike's rise in value
Make no mistake, Ekitike has been considered a top talent from his early days as a pro. Having been developed through his formative years with French club Reims, the 23-year-old earned a big move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2023, signing for the Ligue 1 giants in a total €35m (about £30m) package.
Newcastle waged transfer war against Liverpool this summer, but the recent months weren’t the root of the Magpies’ interest in the young Frenchman, having agreed a deal to sign him way back when before PSG came along.
Ekitike’s efforts as a youngster with the Parisians proved fruitless, and he left for Eintracht Frankfurt after featuring just 33 times, scoring four goals. His £14m switch to the Bundesliga after an initial loan period underscored that blot on the copybook, albeit one which proved instrumental for his growth in hindsight.
Frankfurt promised him a platform to foster his immense abilities, and there he grew into the player he is today, and player who, excitingly for the Reds, remains the unfinished product.
Three goals and an assist from Ekitike’s first four outings with Liverpool bespeak his potential, and perhaps add a layer of tension for Isak, who knows his place at number nine is not secure.
Already, the France international appears to have been worth the money, FSG having fought to beat off competition from Newcastle and more this summer, signing Ekitike for an initial £69m fee, which may rise to £79m.
He’s the real deal, and evidence that Liverpool are willing to pay the big bucks for up-and-coming talents if they deem them standing beneath a high ceiling.
The same could be said for Anthony Gordon, who was targeted last summer in a bumper move. However, peer down a different timeline and you might find the Three Lions star a one-club man at Liverpool.
Liverpool must regret losing Anthony Gordon
Gordon made his name on Merseyside, but he did it in blue. The 23-year-old winger completed 78 appearances for Everton, scoring seven goals, after graduating from their Finch Farm academy, but he only found a home on that patch after previously cutting his teeth with Liverpool.
Indeed, a boyhood Red, Gordon was released from Liverpool’s youth system when he was 11 years old, very much a victim of the ruthless nature of youth football. Even so, Liverpool chiefs must kick themselves for having let that one slip through their fingers.
Sold by Everton to Newcastle for £45m after forcing his way out of Goodison Park, Gordon has since grown into one of the Premier League’s most prominent wide forwards, hailed as a “relentless machine” by journalist Sripad.
Named Newcastle’s Player of the Year for 2023/24, Gordon posted 21 goal contributions across the league campaign and demonstrated such fluidity and tenacity, a beacon throughout a tough, injury-riddled period for the Toon.
He’s described himself as “a nightmare for anyone” he comes up against, and while Gordon struggled to recapture his remarkable early form last year, he still contributed toward triumph in the Carabao Cup and steered United back into the Champions League.
Left winger
124
26
29
Right winger
53
8
8
Attacking midfield
21
13
2
Centre-forward
18
5
1
Liverpool’s data analysts rarely miss the mark, and so clearly Gordon has something about him, indeed coming close to signing the 24-year-old in 2024 as Newcastle looked to avoid PSR punishment. They found alternative ways to circumvent the financial restrictions, and Gordon stayed put.
Still, Liverpool were eager to pay, seemingly undeterred by his lofty price tag. In fact, recent reports from the past few months suggest that FSG have considered making their move this summer, with a £100m fee attached to the interest.
Such a figure places Gordon above Liverpool’s new superstar Ekitike, though some might comment that ‘Premier League tax’ has played a part in inflating Gordon’s price tag.
Ekitike has the tools to make real progress at Liverpool, developing over the next few years into a superstar. Positionally different, it’s something that the Reds envisaged for Gordon not too long ago.
Though the recent emergence of 17-year-old prodigy Rio Ngumoha has eased Liverpool’s need to find a left winger to compete with Gakpo, it’s likely that Gordon could have played a crucial role in the club’s success, had FSG succeeded in bringing him over from Tyneside last summer.
Alas, it wasn’t to be, and if the Reds wish to revisit their intrigue down the line, they will probably have to fork out an even heftier fee than was paid for Ekitike in July.
It could have all been so much easier if Gordon had been allowed to develop within Liverpool’s academy.
