Liverpool’s new star: Hugo Ekitike

Zaid Hikal, Staff Writer

February 13, 2026

Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, is the home of the Reds. Photo taken with permission from Lucas Cipriano on Unsplash

In the summer of 2025, Hugo Ektike signed a contract with Liverpool Football Club for a fee of £69M (£79M after add-ons) from Eintracht Frankfurt. The French Phenom has quickly become a fan favorite among the scousers and has been performing outstandingly. Here’s an overview of his rise under Arne Slot.

Liverpool FC spent a whopping £446M on talent this season for a rebuild last summer, including the likes of Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong. One signing who the scousers feared would outshine the Frenchman at Liverpool is Alexander Isak, another striker who had world-class performances last season. But Hugo had plans of his own. In his 16 starts, he scored 10 goals and assisted 2, some of these against the likes of Tottenham and Marseille in the Uefa Champions League.

Seeing people call him a backup and a “pointless signing”, Ekitike used that as fuel and proved why he’s one of the best strikers in the world right now. In his debut game against Crystal Palace for the Community Shield, he scored an amazing goal outside the box to give Liverpool a lead early on. The Reds went on to lose in penalties, but even after the loss, Ekitike’s performance started conversations on if he’s better than what fans expected. Following that game, he’s had a goal/assist in almost every start he’s had. The strengths in his game are unusual but effective for a striker like him. Towering at 6’3”, Ekitike is very technical, and his movement is great. You’d think a striker of his size would be a traditional poacher, but he’s not your average player. Since he has these attributes, even if he doesn’t score or assist, his impact on games for Liverpool this season is still big. Fans expect the French striker to continue to improve, considering he’s only 23. When other Liverpool stars like Mohammed Salah and Florian Wirtz return, the future of the team is looking bright.

Currently, Hugo is Liverpool’s number one striker and has no competition for his spot due to Isak’s injury. As per his role in the future, there are three possibilities. Assuming Isak is back on form, the Liverpool manager, Arne Slot, would probably play a double striker format, with them up at the top. If Slot doesn’t play that format, he’d possibly rotate the 2 strikers, or maybe play them at different positions. And the last, least likely possibility, depends on form. Slot could pick a striker and have one on the bench, which would definitely stir up problems.

Overall, Hugo Ekitike’s impact and performances have exceeded many expectations, and he’s looking to be a superstar in the future. Will his stunning form continue? The future of the Reds is unknown, but if Ekitike persists, anything is possible.

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About the Contributor

Zaid Hikal, Staff Writer

Zaid is a freshman at Green Hope, and it is his first year writing for the GH Falcon. Zaid was born in Qatar, and lived there until he was eight years old. He loved moving to the United States, even though there was a lot of adapting to do. Zaid’s mother and brother have had a huge impact on his life. Zaid has a huge passion for soccer, and he plays soccer at least three times a week and watches it everyday. In the future, Zaid wants to play D1 soccer or become a business owner. Even though Zaid doesn’t have any prior experience with journalism, he is willing to learn, and excited to write multiple articles. He also believes that writing helps know what goes on nationally.