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liverpool became champion and eintracht frankfurt had qualified for Champions League But thoughts soon turned to what would happen next. Or who came next, anyway. spoke to arne slott hugo akitike At the end of last season. The caller cannot be a surprise to the striker. Liverpool had been in contact with his camp since January. Liverpool were preparing for the departure of Darwin Nunez. Ekitike had seen his partner Omar Marmoush leaving in the winter window. Frankfurt have replaced Borussia Dortmund as the Bundesliga’s experts at identifying, improving and profiting from talent. The guarantee is that they will sell if the price is right.
Slott can be a persuasive salesman; Or perhaps his club provided him with the best pitch. Manchester United stepped up late and Liverpool could enjoy one of their goals. Newcastle made a bid before Liverpool swooped: their explanation was that the Magpies turned to Akitike only after missing out on Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, although Eddie Howe’s interest in the Frenchman dates back to his first window in charge three years earlier. Despite this, Akitike preferred Liverpool. “It was the best option,” he said three weeks ago. “Champions of England. They have great players and history. It’s a perfect fit for what I was looking for.” he joined July for an initial £69m.
A first-time return to Deutsche Bank Park could have created a winning atmosphere. Akitike scored four minutes into his Liverpool career. He scored in his first three matches for the club; Not since Daniel Sturridge did that for Liverpool. Full of speed, full of talent, he instantly became a crowd favourite. And yet he could return to Frankfurt as a minor player.
And it has many consequences alexander isaacEkitike had the option of replacing the Swede at Newcastle rather than competing with him at Anfield. He would have been guaranteed a start in the Champions League this week. Instead, Ektyke may have recently been in a special job-share, a £200million double task of splitting the minutes. But the division may be unequal. With Isak now fully up to speed – according to Slott, anyway, who argue the £125m man has had six weeks of pre-season – he could be in the bittersweet position of being the world’s best second-choice striker.
Was this in the sales pitch for slots? This is surprising. Akitike joined following the tragic loss of Diogo Jota, which, along with the sales of Núñez and Luis Díaz, meant Liverpool were in need of two forwards; But two of such capacity and cost? Akitike’s brilliant start has led to the idea that they don’t need Isak as much as someone who can be an alternative or deputy to the Frenchman. Liverpool’s own argument was that Akitike had the potential to become one of the outstanding strikers in the global game, while Isak had already achieved that status.
Ekitiç had followed the party line when speaking in Istanbul three weeks ago. “I can’t see any big club playing with just one striker in the team,” he said. “It’s good that Alex is here.” But Isak’s price may make them a priority and so far Isak has played 382 minutes for Liverpool. Akitike has only been on the field for 16 of them: six against Galatasaray, 10 against Manchester United, when he looked the sharper of the two.
Slot has still not fully resolved the question of how they coexist. He was paired in a gung-ho 4-2-4 formation on Sunday. In Istanbul, Ekitike operated the wing. There is a tradition of slick, speedy French forwards who can accelerate into the infield from a starting position on the left flank – think Thierry Henry, think Kylian Mbappe – and he has some of the qualities to excel. Yet while Liverpool regard Akitike as a multifunctional forward, it is still clear that his best role is as a striker. Frankfurt offered a solution of sorts: Akitike played forward alongside Marmoush, but in a 3-5-2 formation that Slott is unlikely to adopt.
And so the Ekitike conundrum is how and where to utilize a player who appears to be an inspired signing. The momentum that Akitike enjoyed early in his Liverpool career has been taken away, to some extent, by being kept on the bench. He has now started only one of his last five matches in all competitions for Galatasaray. He has played only 44 minutes in Liverpool’s last three Premier League games; He is partly to blame for this, his departure against Southampton ruled him out of the trip to Crystal Palace. But even with that red card – deemed “stupid” by Slott and “not smart” by Ekitike himself – the decision to take off his shirt in celebration, holding his name and number up, can be interpreted as a reference to Isak, who also scored. Was Ekitike reminding us not to forget about him?
Because he has a history of being overlooked by more expensive strikers. Two years ago, Paris Saint-Germain, then with Mbappé, left him out of their Champions League squad. This set him on the route that led to Liverpool via Frankfurt.
And meanwhile the good businessmen of Eintracht have reacted to Akitike’s departure in typical fashion. They signed Jonathan Burkard from Mainz. He has six goals in his last six matches. He will definitely start the Akitaike derby this week. Can’t be akitike.