Liverpool striker target STEALS the show in €1 billion showdown

If you managed to stay awake during Thomas Tuchel’s debut as England coach, well done.

But you may have missed a trick by not tuning in to England under-21’s encounter against their French counterparts - described as the richest underage international game ever played.

Transfermarkt rates the French squad as valued at around €420.2 million while England clock in at €560.2m. That gives an overall total of €980.4m - just shy of a €1bn total in squad values.

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You would have caught Harvey Elliott in action for a start; he scored and missed a penalty in an eventful 5-3 win for Les Bleuets.

And you would have also seen plenty of reported Liverpool transfer targets on show in the friendly. On the England side there were Adam Wharton and Liam Delap, two players long-linked with a move to Anfield.

France and England U21s are stacked

Moreover, Jarrad Branthwaite came off the bench for Lee Carsley’s side, emphasising the ludicrous amount of talent in the underage ranks.

But there were ALSO several targets on the French side to keep an eye on. Castello Lukeba has been described as a Liverpool defensive target ahead of the summer transfer window opening.

Rayan Cherki was sublime; the Lyon man is far too good for this level and got two assists as well as the fifth French goal. Stuttgart star Enzo Millot, meanwhile, patrolled the midfield in his role as captain.

Even young Lille star Ayyoub Bouaddi - a more recent Liverpool link - got off the bench for the final few moments.

There was more quality in each of these U21 lineups than you would find at plenty of senior international sides and it was a far better watch than England v Albania.

Hugo Ekitike steals the show

But one man who stole the show was Liverpool striking target Hugo Ekitike, who showed that he meant business in the €1bn showdown.

He executed a near-perfect game at centre-forward, rattling in a hat-trick and showcasing his full range of striking skills.

The 22-year-old Frankfurt striker benefitted from the creativity of Cherki - as well as Tottenham’s Wilson Odobert - to help himself to a close-range treble.

Ekitike has been described as somewhat of a budget option in case the Reds don’t land Alexander Isak. That said, Frankfurt are still said to rate him at around €80 million. He’s scored 19 goals and added eight assists for the Bundesliga side in 38 matches overall this term.

The forward has made a tremendous recovery in his career having effectively lost a season as a result of an ill-fated move to Paris Saint-Germain.

Liverpool could do a lot worse than test Frankfurt’s resolve for Ekitike in the summer. And who knows? Maybe he could tell Cherki, Bouaddi and Lukeba to come along for the ride.

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