Liverpool star named ‘best striker in the Premier League’ by former player | OneFootball

Liverpool see Hugo Ekitike take centre stage after Gabby Agbonlahor acclaim

Liverpool have a superstar on their hands and his name is Hugo Ekitike. The Frenchman has not tiptoed into life at Anfield, he has kicked the door down. His latest brace against Newcastle took him to 15 goals for the season and further underlined a start that has been nothing short of electric.

Ekitike fits it like a glove, especially alongside Florian Wirtz. Their understanding has made the £69 million paid to Eintracht Frankfurt look a bargain, and Liverpool supporters are already whispering about how high his ceiling might be.

That excitement is not limited to Merseyside. Former England international Gabby Agbonlahor has gone further than most, pushing Ekitike to the very top of the striker hierarchy in England.

Gabby Agbonlahor verdict that turned heads

Agbonlahor is never shy with an opinion, yet even by his standards this was emphatic. Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: “[Ekitike] is quick, he’s strong, he’s good in the air, he can finish every sort of finish. His linkup play is very good, and he’s also broken into the French national team and will go to the World Cup.

“He will shine at the World Cup, and I think for me at the moment, on form, he is the best striker in the Premier League.”

Those words carry weight in a division that includes Erling Haaland, who is already on 27 goals despite a slight dip in recent weeks. Ekitike’s claim rests on how complete his game looks. He presses, he links, he runs channels and he finishes. Liverpool have not merely bought a penalty box predator, they have landed a forward who elevates those around him.

Liverpool attack fuelled by Ekitike and Wirtz

Slot’s side play with rhythm and purpose, and Ekitike’s connection with Wirtz is at the heart of it. The German glides between the lines, Ekitike stretches defences and the space that opens up feels deliberate rather than accidental. It is why Liverpool so often arrive in the final third with numbers and options.

The comparisons to Thierry Henry may be lofty, but they speak to a player who can do a bit of everything. For all Haaland’s goals, critics point to elements he does not offer. Ekitike gives Liverpool variety, allowing them to shift shapes mid match without losing their cutting edge.

Ekitike goals target and Isak return

With 15 already on the board, talk has turned to how high Ekitike can go. Twenty looks likely, 25 would be a statement season, and that is before Alexander Isak returns from injury. The Swede’s comeback adds intrigue rather than anxiety. Slot could use them together, interchanging, pulling centre backs apart and flooding the box.

Both forwards can drop deep or sprint in behind, which opens tactical doors. There has been scrutiny about Liverpool signing two similar profiles, yet there is also a clear path for both to thrive if the system flexes.

For now, the focus stays on Ekitike, the forward who has lit up Anfield and drawn glowing praise. Liverpool have momentum, they have a title winning manager and they have a striker playing at a level that has pundits reaching for superlatives. On this evidence, the conversation around the best in the league is no longer theoretical, it is happening in red.