Welcome Ekitike / ekitikE emocleW

[stressederic]

https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/liverpool-agree-deal-sign-hugo-ekitike-eintracht-frankfurt

I've decided he's going to be quality.

[Duncan Disorderly]

Marvelous!

[Eiler99]

Hugo Boss

[Zoob]

Best signing we've made today. 

[Cam]

Bravo for the title!

[stressederic]

3 minutes ago, Cam said:

Bravo for the title!

Took me more than a few read overs to make sure I'd not f***ed it up...

[DanWM]

I listened to this before, good insight from the athletic's German writer. Interesting bit where he's said Frankfurt have told him after the deal was agreed that they still only see him at about 60% of his potential.

 

[Kvarme Ate My Food]

Signing a new main striker is a special sort of exciting. 

[stressederic]

Anyone got a login to see if Joyce has given us any extra goodies?

https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/hugo-ekitike-liverpool-announcement-transfer-news-latest-frankfurt-z98bgrqfh

Just now, Kvarme Ate My Food said:

Signing a new main striker is a special sort of exciting. 

Yeah I love getting a new striker in

[YugoB]

Hugo Boss it is

[Gethin]

Just now, stressederic said:

Anyone got a login to see if Joyce has given us any extra goodies?

https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/hugo-ekitike-liverpool-announcement-transfer-news-latest-frankfurt-z98bgrqfh

Quote

Hugo Ekitike completes move to Liverpool in £79m deal

French striker rejected interest from Manchester United and Newcastle as Premier League champions continue lavish spending spree totalling almost £300m

new

Paul Joyce

, Northern Football Correspondent

 

Liverpool have completed the signing of Hugo Ekitike after the striker snubbed late interest from Manchester United to become Arne Slot’s latest recruit. 

The 23-year-old rejected the approach from Old Trafford, which came when United’s director of recruitment, Christopher Vivell, contacted the Eintracht Frankfurt sporting director, Markus Krosche, and has now sealed a move to Anfield. The deal will cost Liverpool an initial £69million with a further £10million payable in potential bonuses, subject to international clearance.

Liverpool also outmanoeuvred Newcastle United for Ekitike, who first spoke to the head coach Slot at the end of what was a breakout Bundesliga season for him. Newcastle had turned their attention to the France Under-21 international after missing out on deals for Liam Delap and João Pedro, who both opted to join Chelsea, but found themselves down the pecking order.

 

Contact between Anfield officials and Ekitike’s camp had been established in the new year and Liverpool waited until Newcastle were trying to close a deal before revealing their own hand. It is a tactic that also worked previously when they gazumped Tottenham Hotspur to lure Luis Díaz from Porto in January 2022 for an initial £37million. 

Liverpool retain an interest in Newcastle’s Alexander Isak but, with the St James’ Park club insisting the Sweden international is not presently for sale, they believe Ekitike, who scored 15 goals in the German top flight last season and 22 in all club competitions, can flourish under Slot’s tutelage. 

Slot views the player as a multi-functional centre forward who, while primarily playing as a No9, can also operate wide or perform as a second striker. 

There are many similarities between Ekitike and Isak, albeit the latter has proved himself at a higher level, and Liverpool believe that Ekitike’s ability to bring teammates in play, operate in tight areas and also stretch defences mark him down as a future star should he maintain his trajectory and not be blown off course.

He follows the signings of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Ármin Pécsi and Freddie Woodman with a spending spree of almost £300million set to continue. 

Liverpool, who are also interested in the Crystal Palace centre back Marc Guéhi, have already sold Caoimhin Kelleher and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jarell Quansah and Nat Phillips. There are doubts over the futures of a number of players such as Darwin Núñez, Díaz, Harvey Elliott and Federico Chiesa.

 

The late approach from United is comedy as f***. His agents....

 

[Benzo-13]

Great title! Welcome Hugo

[Ombudsam]

23 minutes ago, Cam said:

Bravo for the title!

Seconded!

[Kvarme Ate My Food]

Wake me up before Hugo goes 
Leaps for corners like he’s on a pogo 
Wake me up before Hugo goes 
I don’t wanna miss it when he jumps that high

[stressederic]

19 minutes ago, Gethin said:

 

The late approach from United is comedy as f***. His agents....

 

Very strong 'Eamon Holmes makes late offer of marriage to Eva Green' vibes about it.

[Tommy Cockles]

I think in all the palindromic excitement, or etikite-ment if you will, we have sort of overlooked that his name is Hugo.

I think it’s the poshest name we’ve had in ages.

[Cobs]

1 hour ago, Tommy Cockles said:

I think in all the palindromic excitement, or etikite-ment if you will, we have sort of overlooked that his name is Hugo.

I think it’s the poshest name we’ve had in ages.

Since Lord Frodsham, at least.

[growler]

There’s something about this lad. 

I reckon he’ll be great next season and be top class in the following season.

he’d be like a pig in s*** too. 

which striker wouldn’t want to play as our 9, with Diaz and Salah either side, wirtz behind, Mac and Szob behind that and flanked by kirkez and Frimpong.

[kop205]

Eki-tike

Any way you want me 

As long as you score goals 

It's alright 

[Chewie]

Ekitike, ooh

Scores for the very first time

Ekiti-ke

Plays for Liverpool, he's our number 9

[Zoob]

From the (obviously needlessly too long) Athletic piece about the transfer. 

"Ekitike’s goal tally was not vast last season, but Liverpool did not regard that as a reason to be deterred. He performed well in other metrics, and Liverpool expect his goal return to increase over time. Even allowing for the limited nature of historical tracking data, Liverpool’s analysts felt that, relative to other centre-forwards, only Erling Haaland and Mbappe have shown similar potential to Ekitike at a comparable age."

 

No pressure then.

Also the analysts must be looking well beyond goals to make that comparison given how many Goals Haaland and Mbappe had both scored by the time they were 23

[Case]

Best thread title ever.

 

[Hassony]

Please accept my apology 

To the tune of 'APT'

 

 

Ekitike tike 

Ekitike tike 

Ekitike tike 

 

uh, uh-huh, uh-huh

 

Ekitike, Ekitike, headin’ it home,

 

kop is bouncing, it’s gettin' real uh-huh, uh-huh

 

Red kits, red kits, that’s what he’s in, yeah

 

Scoring again, that's the deal, oh-oh-oh

 

Don’t you want him like the slot do, baby?

 

Don’t you feel it when he breaks through now?

 

Sleep tomorrow, but tonight we’re crazy

All you gotta do is just 

 

Ekitike tike 

Ekitike tike 

Ekitike tike

 

 

 

[Case]

9 hours ago, Tommy Cockles said:

I think in all the palindromic excitement, or etikite-ment if you will, we have sort of overlooked that his name is Hugo.

I think it’s the poshest name we’ve had in ages.

There’s a lad called Haydn Murray-Holme at the Academy.

[Tosh]

He’s French, it’s “Oogo”