'I feel sorry for him' - Liverpool star who's started the season brilliantly set for axe
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Charlie Grace
Sat 13 September 2025 8:30, UK
Arne Slot will face a selection dilemma with Alexander Isak joining the attack at Liverpool, threatening the place of Hugo Ekitike.
Isak joined Liverpool in a record breaking deadline day deal worth £125 million, bolstering Slot’s attacking options.
Liverpool have signed three premium attacking players this window, including Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Isak.
Wirtz has struggled to adapt to the Premier League, while Ekitike has hit the ground running for Slot’s side.
Liverpool have begun their Premier League title defence in perfect fashion, scoring eight goals on the way to winning all three of their opening league matches.
With the addition of Isak though, Ekitike’s place in the side now looks under threat, and French football expert Julien Laurens gave his view of Slot’s squad balance ahead of this weekend’s fixtures.
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Laurens, speaking on Sky Sports, said: “You can always play great players together obviously, but Ekitike and Isak are so similar and Isak is a better version compared to a younger Ekitike.
“From their size to their skillset and what they like doing, to the areas they like playing in they are quite similar.
Credit: Imago
“Of course you can play Ekitike a bit on the wing at times, Isak played there as well when Callum Wilson started for Newcastle two seasons ago, so that can happen.
“But, I don’t think that can happen on a longer term, Ekitike is not a winger, he doesn’t have the qualities to play there like a [Cody] Gakpo, or [Mohamed] Salah even on the other side,” Laurens continued.
“I feel a little bit sorry for Ekitike really, because he signed as the number one because at the time there was no Isak in the picture anymore because Newcastle had rejected the approach from Liverpool and then they [Liverpool] signed Ekitike.
“Then, for now, Ekitike will start and Isak will come off the bench for an increased amount of minutes but at some point Isak will be the number one and Ekitike will be on the bench,” he finished.
As Laurens mentioned, Ekitike has the potential to play on the left wing, a capability he showed on several occasions at Eintracht Frankfurt.
For Ekitike to play on the left wing it would require Slot to shift Cody Gakpo out of his side, and the Dutchman’s form has shown that’s not possible.
Alexander IsakHugo Ekitike23Goals156Assists820.3xG21.617.2Non-penalty xG19.3Alexander Isak compared to Hugo Ekitike in 2024-25 (FBref)
Gakpo has tallied three goal involvements already this season and looks a constant threat on the left wing, opposite the underwhelming Salah.