Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike Pursuit: Dave Hendrick’s Take from Anfield Index

Liverpool, the newly crowned Premier League champions under Arne Slot, are moving decisively in the transfer market. On the Anfield Index Daily Red podcast, Dave Hendrick broke down the Reds’ interest in Hugo Ekitike, offering a candid assessment of the young striker’s potential and the broader implications for the team.

Backing Edwards and the Recruitment Team

Hendrick was clear from the start: “If Michael Edwards has decided that Ekitike is worth going for, then you have to back it.” He reminded listeners that Liverpool have a history of success with so-called “number two options,” citing Gini Wijnaldum, Sadio Mané and Mo Salah as prime examples. Hendrick noted, “Mo, he didn’t want Mo originally, he wanted Julian Brandt. Sadio, he wanted Mario Götze. He had to be convinced on those players by the recruitment staff.”

This trust in the backroom team is key, especially as Liverpool move for a player who Hendrick admits has weaknesses: “His finishing is inconsistent to be kind, and he does struggle against physicality.” Yet, Hendrick believes those issues will improve, adding, “He’s young, he’s going to bulk up. Get him in the door, get him on the steaks, get him in the gym with Mo.”

Ekitike’s Fit and the Role of Rodrygo

Hendrick sees Ekitike stepping into a team filled with firepower: “He’s walking into a team that’s going to have Mo Salah on the right, Florian Wirtz in the team, and potentially Rodrygo on the left.” He emphasised the importance of this environment, calling it “potentially the best possible situation,” and praised Rodrygo’s versatility and spark: “Rodrygo is… lightning… an alternative number nine… he is a spark plug.”

There’s excitement about how these pieces fit together. Hendrick declared, “If we get him in, get him playing regularly on the left, he will be outrageous.” He was also clear on expectations, warning against pressure: “We cannot put that level of pressure on him because he’s a young lad who’ll be coming to a new country with a lot of expectation and a big price tag already weighing over him.”

Learning from the Past and Breaking the Voodoo

A recurring theme was Hendrick’s concern over the so-called Eintracht Frankfurt “voodoo,” referencing past strikers who failed after leaving the German club: “Luka Jović… Sébastien Haller… Randal Kolo Muani… players doing really really well with Eintracht and then not doing well elsewhere.” Still, Hendrick acknowledged Ekitike might break the streak, noting his resilience: “Even when he was at PSG and it was going disastrously bad… there wasn’t a peep out of him.”

Hendrick praised Ekitike’s work ethic and mindset, highlighting that the striker “works like a demon on improving his game” and has “a great personality” with no history of causing issues.

Patience and High Expectations

Hendrick called for patience: “It’s going to take patience, but like I say, he is walking in to potentially the best possible situation with Salah. Salah and Wirtz alone make it an incredible situation.” Reflecting on the highs and lows of player adaptation, he pointed out, “Isak’s first year wasn’t all plain sailing… Darwin scored more than him in the first year.”

Ultimately, Hendrick offered a bold assessment: “I don’t think there’s a world in which he’s just decent for us. I think he’s either a disappointment or he’s incredible.” Given Michael Edwards’ track record, Hendrick is optimistic: “Michael Edwards doesn’t miss. He just doesn’t miss.”