Has Hugo Ekitike ever played as a right winger as Liverpool plan their perfect long-term attack

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After a frustrating summer of searching so far, it has become clear in recent weeks that Liverpool see Paris Saint-Germain forward Bradley Barcola as the man to take Mohamed Salah’s place in the squad this summer.The Frenchman will not be a like-for-like swap, however, with Barcola favouring a left-sided role rather than filling Salah’s vacant spot on the right.This has led to confusion over who Liverpool see as their long-term right winger. Photo Credit: Getty Images/Sarah Stier/FIFA To add more complication to the mix, Barcola’s addition would also raise question marks over what the future holds for Hugo Ekitike, when he finally returns from his Achilles tear in 2027.Andoni Iraola has hinted that he wants a four-man Liverpool attack of Barcola, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, with one slot open for someone to grab on the right.

So, could Ekitike come back to complete what looks like a scary Reds forward line next year? Ekitike has never played as a right wingerIn short, the answer here appears to be a resounding ‘no.’ As per Transfermarkt, of the 169 appearances he has made as a senior professional, only one of those has come from the right side of the attack.A whopping 162 have been played as a centre-forward, and that is clearly where Ekitike is most comfortable.READ MORE: Andoni Iraola confirms whether Florian Wirtz and Jeremy Jacquet will play for Liverpool vs Leeds after Wrexham winSurprisingly, only four appearances are said to have been from the left, although as we have seen in his Liverpool career so far, Ekitike often likes to drift out to the left wing during matches and attack from wide.While, in theory, he could also do this on the right, it is clearly more natural for him to go the other way.Tall and rangy, Ekitike also does not look like a natural winger.

He is quick, although not in the same way a Barcola or a Munoz is, but there is concern that the nature of his current injury could lead to a slight loss in pace when he comes back.Although a front four of Barcola, Wirtz, Isak and Ekitike looks sensational – and would cost somewhere close to £400m combined – this does not appear to be the plan.So what is the plan for Ekitike?First things first, Liverpool need to focus on getting Ekitike back to full fitness. In the meantime they will have to find a different solution on the right wing.It is not an easy business for Liverpool to try and balance improving their attack with waiting for Ekitike’s return and not blocking him when he comes back to fitness.They also do not fully know what kind of player will return, and whether he will still be good enough to play regularly in the starting XI.What can be said with a degree of certainty, however, is that Ekitike is not being earmarked as the answer to Liverpool’s right-sided issue this summer.