‘So many question marks…’ – Neil Warnock questions whether Liverpool ‘gamble’ could backfire
Neil Warnock has questioned whether Liverpool could be about to take ‘too much of a gamble’ on the impending acquisition of Hugo Ekitike.
On Monday morning, it emerged that the Reds have agreed a £79m deal with Eintracht Frankfurt for the striker, with £69m to be paid up front and the remaining £10m comprising various add-ons which are contingent on the success of the team and the player.
The Frenchman netted 22 goals and supplied 12 assists for the Bundesliga side last season, although the managerial veteran believes that the Premier League champions are about to overpay for the 23-year-old.
Warnock questions Liverpool ‘gamble’ over Ekitike
Speaking on talkSPORT, Warnock described the reported fee for Ekitike as a significant ‘gamble’, even if he misinpreted the amount being widely communicated.
The former Sheffield United, QPR and Crystal Palace manager (among numerous other clubs) said: “Isn’t it a lot of money, that? Yeah he’s had a good season or what have you, but there’s so many question marks against what he’s going to be like.
“I don’t know where the money is going now. £90m for that? I just think it’s too much of a gamble, or are they using that to try and give them a bit more time for the Newcastle lad [Alexander Isak]?”
Warnock has his doubts but Liverpool wouldn’t have agreed the deal flippantly
For starters, Neil, the deal that Liverpool and Eintracht Frankfurt have agreed for Ekitike is £79m (€91.2m) and not £90m; and while some Reds fans on social media have pondered whether the fee is excessive, it reflects the reality of the transfer market in 2025.
As we’ve outlined previously on EOTK, it isn’t just the 23-year-old’s goal tally which stood out last season, but also his overall performance figures, ranking among the top 10% of centre-forwards in Europe’s five main leagues for a series of underlying metrics (FBref).
Also, German football writer Sebastian Stafford-Bloor detailed (via The Athletic) that the Frenchman provides a ‘formidable penalty box target’ who has also ‘shown an aerial presence that can take defenders by surprise’ and looks very capable of ‘evolving into a complete forward’.
After the tragic death of Diogo Jota and amid ongoing speculation over the future of Darwin Nunez, recruiting a new striker has become imperative for Liverpool this summer, and FSG wouldn’t have rolled the dice on Ekitike unless they were thoroughly convinced that he’s the right man for Arne Slot’s side.
Warnock is entitled to feel that the transfer represents a big ‘gamble’ for the Reds, but so does every other signing made by a Premier League club. Every transaction carries an element of risk – the same was said about the £75m and £67m we paid for Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker respectively, and look how those turned out!
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