How Ekitike Shows Slot Shift Towards Klopp Tactics

Arne Slot's summertime reshuffle was already nan astir important by a reigning Premier League champion successful nan competition's history.

Florian Wirtz's presence points to a reconstruction of nan Liverpool midfield. Deals for Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez people nan extremity of nan celebrated full-back pairing of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson. But nan expected presence of Hugo Ekitike is nan last flourish that makes it practically a full-scale revolution.

This is not Jurgen Klopp's squad immoderate more.

And yet, arsenic nan Bundesliga stars record in, it curiously looks arsenic though Slot is taking Liverpool connected a travel backmost towards his predecessor's ideas.

Before we see really and why Ekitike will person an effect connected Slot's tactics, it's worthy looking astatine nan header numbers to show why Liverpool are prepared to walk £69m, pinch £10m successful add-ons, connected nan 23-year-old.

Ekitike scored 15 goals and provided 8 assists successful 31 Bundesliga games past season, totalling nan fifth-most extremity involvements successful nan division. He was besides progressive successful nan fifth-most 'attacking sequences' successful nan Bundesliga.

That tin beryllium interpreted arsenic showing nan value of Ekitike's all-round game, whether holding up nan ball, moving into channels, aliases bursting successful behind.

In that respect – successful astir respects, successful truth – he is very akin to Alexander Isak, albeit pinch considerably much flair to his crippled and a penchant for taking players connected successful nan dribble.

He is peculiarly adept astatine mounting up team-mates, too, creating much chances shape unfastened play (44) successful 2024-25 than immoderate different Bundesliga forward.

The only flimsy interest is that Ekitike is simply a small earthy successful beforehand of goal. He took 117 shots successful nan Bundesliga past season, much than anyone else, but converted a disappointing 12.8%, starring to an xG under-performance of 6.6 goals – a bigger spread than immoderate different subordinate successful Europe's 'Big Five' leagues.

But that conscionable intends Ekitike needs a small tuning up.

It's worthy thing that erstwhile Isak was nan aforesaid age, playing for Real Sociedad successful 2021-22, he scored conscionable six goals successful 32 convention games, under-performed his xG by 3.8, and converted conscionable 8.2% of his shots.

In an era erstwhile utilising attacking transitions are of expanding importance, Ekitike's smart assists, his give-and-go moves, and his line-breaking carries into nan last 3rd are each hallmarks of nan elite modern number nine.

As a lawsuit successful point, he topped nan 2024-25 Bundesliga charts for shot-ending carries (44) and classed 5th for attempted dribbles (126), while besides scoring much goals from accelerated breaks (4) than anyone other successful nan division.

That's why Ekitike's expected presence represents specified an absorbing displacement for Slot.

In his debut year, Slot tamed nan wilder aspects of Klopp's shot to create a slower, calmer Liverpool, surviving up to wide held expectations of a head who erstwhile described Pep Guardiola teams arsenic nan "ultimate joyousness successful football".

But Ekitike represents a displacement backmost nan different way, possibly reflecting a akin realisation to nan 1 that precocious struck Guardiola.

"Modern shot is not positional," Guardiola told TNT Sports a fewer period ago, not agelong aft signing a nonstop and transition-centric guardant successful Omar Marmoush, Ekitike's striker partner astatine nan time. "You person to thrust nan rhythm."

Slot, too, appears to beryllium making concessions to nan measurement modern Premier League shot is changing.

It's telling that Ekitike will get successful nan aforesaid summertime arsenic different Bundesliga star, Germany world Wirtz, forming a new-look onslaught built connected piercing guardant activity and an inclination to weave done nan thirds arsenic quickly arsenic possible.

The 2 should harvester superbly. Both are crisp one-touch passers betwixt nan lines, some emotion to clang nan box, and some were sculpted successful fast-transitioning Bundesliga teams.

That is simply a clear measurement alteration for Slot and, to an extent, a astonishing move backmost towards nan 'heavy metal' days of Klopp.

Along pinch Wirtz and nan 2 caller full-backs, Ekitike points to a different Liverpool set-up.

In 2024-25, immoderate 47 of Liverpool's 86 goals (55%) were scored aliases assisted by Mohamed Salah, who ran nan correct helping almost connected his ain arsenic Alexander-Arnold drifted inside.

By contrast, Frimpong is simply a very attacking, very wide right-back. That should return immoderate of nan unit disconnected Salah, but it mightiness besides spot nan Egyptian move infield to support nan caller creator-in-chief Wirtz, Liverpool's first due number 10 successful years.

Adding weight to that mentation is Ekitike's history of playing successful a onslaught partnership. He was arguably astatine his champion successful a 3-5-2 alongside Marmoush astatine Frankfurt, pinch whom he regularly swapped positions successful a fluid guardant line.

He was besides much often than not playing successful a 2 astatine Reims, wherever he made his name. Could Slot beryllium readying thing akin pinch Ekitike and Salah?

In a 4-2-3-1, Frimpong's fierce helping play connected nan correct could free Salah to drift wrong and run arsenic thing for illustration a divided striker alongside Ekitike, pinch Wirtz and a number 8 sitting conscionable behind.

That would surely beryllium direct, move and straight-lined, and would surely beryllium fresh for a move towards fast-transitioning shot adjacent season.

But it's conscionable 1 of nan options disposable to Slot now he has specified a versatile number 9 starring nan charge.

Ekitike tin driblet for illustration Roberto Firmino aliases get successful behind, tin play unsocial aliases successful a two, and tin play transitional shot aliases successful a possession-centric side.

He is nan existent deal: nan centre-forward of nan calibre and tactical dexterity beautiful overmuch each 'Big Six' nine has been looking for.

Whether Slot continues pinch Guardiola-like patience aliases swings backmost towards Klopp-like verticality, Liverpool's chances of retaining nan Premier League title conscionable improved.