How Liverpool duo Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak compare to big-money striker signings around the Premier League

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The summer transfer market of 2025 was largely defined by the Premier League’s biggest clubs adding to their striking departments.Liverpool arguably signed the two best options on the market, bringing in both Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike.However, other big clubs did expensive business as well. Viktor Gyokeres signed for Arsenal, Joao Pedro joined Chelsea and Benjamin Sesko moved to Manchester United.Liverpool were linked with all three players at one stage or another, but fans were delighted to see Isak and Ekitike arrive at Anfield instead.Although there is a debate over how Arne Slot will use both players, there is little question that they improve the Liverpool squad, on paper at least.With the Reds in poor form, though, fans and pundits are starting to wonder if the £199m Liverpool spent on the two strikers was really worth it.Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty ImagesHugo Ekitike leads the way for new Premier League strikersDespite Liverpool’s lean form in recent weeks, you would be hard-pushed to find a fan who would rather have Gyokeres, Pedro or Sesko at the club.Newcastle’s Nick Woltemade was also linked before replacing Isak on Tyneside, and the German is ironically the player who has started the best of the big-name Premier League striker signings.READ MORE: Erling Haaland surprisingly hails former Liverpool player after facing him at Brentford with Man CityWoltemade scored a brilliant penalty on Sunday to make it three goals in four Premier League appearances since his move from Stuttgart.All of the new arrivals have now found the net, although Isak’s one goal from six appearances is the lowest tally.Encouragingly, Ekitike is the player who leads the way across all competitions.

The Frenchman has a respectable tally of five goals in 10 Liverpool appearances.Woltemade added a Champions League goal for Newcastle alongside his three Premier League strikes, putting him on four goals from seven games, while Gyokeres has three in 10, Sesko two in eight and Pedro two in nine matches.What about goals per 90 minutes?Given the limited time Isak has had on the pitch this season, tallying up goals against appearances made does not do the Swede any favours.Even for Ekitike, who has started only five games across all competitions, it can paint an incorrect picture of the truth.In Premier League terms, Woltemade is the striker with the best goals per 90 minutes ratio, statistically scoring 0.89 times every game.Ekitike is not far away with 0.7 goals per 90 minutes, while Gyokeres, Sesko and Pedro are a little further down the list.Sesko and Gyokeres both statistically score 0.47 times per match, with Pedro coming in with a lowly 0.31.