Hugo Ekitike may never hit the kind of scoring numbers Erling Haaland has produced in his short time in England, but the French forward is being talked about in a very different way for one simple reason: his all-round game.
Ekitike has already been described as Liverpool’s “new Fernando Torres”, with the comparison focused less on raw goals and more on style, movement and the way he links play. The key point being made is that, while Haaland remains one of the most lethal finishers in world football, he does not offer the same overall package when he is not scoring.
Haaland’s current dip in form has only sharpened that argument. Manchester City’s No.9 is still judged mainly by his output in front of goal, and when the chances do not come, his influence on matches can fall away. Ekitike, by contrast, is being praised for contributions that go beyond the penalty box: pressing, carrying the ball, combining with team-mates and helping attacks flow.
The piece stresses that the gap between the two strikers as pure finishers is obvious, and that Ekitike is unlikely to ever match Haaland’s goal totals. But it also underlines what has been revealed by the recent spotlight on City’s striker: Haaland’s limitations become clearer when he is out of rhythm, because he is not the type of forward who constantly shapes games without scoring.
That is why Ekitike’s profile is attracting attention. Even if he never reaches Haaland’s record-breaking level for goals, the suggestion is that Liverpool’s “new Fernando Torres” has the kind of rounded skill set that can make him valuable in more ways, especially in matches where chances are limited and a forward needs to help create as well as finish.
