Richard Hughes gets DEFINITIVE answer for £200m forward question | OneFootball

The Frenchman, now 23, was signed earlier in the summer for £69m - with Newcastle left empty-handed after initially being hopeful of concluding a deal with Eintracht Frankfurt.

Once Isak came on board for a British record deal of £125m it was reckoned that Ekitike would be left outside in the cold.

Arne Slot has not shown much willingness to experiment with two strikers in his system - and there was no way that the expensive Swede would be left out to accommodate Ekitike.

The former Paris Saint-Germain youngster picked up the slack as soon as he signed - scoring in his first three games running as the Reds’ sporting director Richard Hughes worked to conclude a deal for Isak.

Owing to the 26-year-old’s self-imposed Newcastle exile it was patently clear when he arrived at Anfield that he was out of shape and even required a mini preseason campaign to help get him up to speed.

Ekitike steps up

But here we are in December and Isak has shown precious little sign of shaking that rustiness. He’s scored twice in 15 outings - once in the EFL Cup against Southampton back in September and at West Ham last month in the Premier League.

These are ordinary numbers and - in the case of the third most-expensive player of all-time - they are shocking. Isak still looks an awkward fit in the Liverpool system when he starts - struggling for involvement and being pushed right to the margins.

It’s a good thing for Liverpool that Ekitike has been able to step up when the former Real Sociedad striker has been unable. But for Isak it’s a reminder of how far he still needs to go in order to make an impact deemed justifiable for the outlay.

It was a six-year contract that Isak signed - meaning there is plenty of time for him to show the best of himself. Last season he scored 23 Premier League goals and it’s clear there is a world-class striker in there somewhere.

It’s Isak however and not the ex-Bundesliga player who looks like he needs time to adapt to the demands of playing for Liverpool.

Ekitike comfortably outperforming Isak

Let’s be honest there have been some ordinary matches for Ekitike too - he went over two months without a Premier League goal before snapping that streak at Leeds last week.

And he also opened the door for Isak to take his place in the team with an errant red card at Anfield for taking his shirt off following a goal versus Southampton.

Right now his record reads seven goals in only 10 top-flight starts. Ekitike is already in double figures for goals this season in only 23 matches too.

He's reached that number quicker than both Michael Owen and Luis Suarez according to a recent Times' article by Paul Joyce.

© Anfield Watch

Isak and Ekitike - the near-£200m strike force

He demonstrated all his strengths in last weekend’s 2-0 win over Brighton - scoring twice. Ekitike has laid down the challenge to Isak.

Because right now there’s no justification for Slot dropping him out of the lineup to accommodate the fit-again Isak. He must earn the shirt back - and an increase in his form and intensity can only be a good thing for Liverpool in the long run.

No one is saying that Isak was a mistake at £125m - Newcastle were well protected from a contract perspective and right to demand top dollar.

However we are looking at a situation where no one would really miss him if he wasn’t there - and that’s a testament to his so-called deputy who cost just over half as much.

Liverpool knew they would be acquiring a world-class striking talent over the summer as part of their near £200m forward outlay… the only surprise is that it’s Ekitike and not Isak who’s earned that status.