Hugo Ekitike is begging Liverpool to make an offer

Hugo Ekitike is wanted at Liverpool and his performance this weekend is just begging for an offer. Will Richard Hughes make it, though?

It's no secret that Liverpool are after a striker in the transfer window. The Reds hope to upgrade on their two current options in the position: Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota.

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A few names have been put on the shortlist. Alexander Isak almost certainly tops it, though Newcastle United's asking price will naturally create problems for the Reds.

The Magpies want around £130m in order to sell Isak. That would obliterate the current transfer record - not just Liverpool's but English football's.

That has Richard Hughes and company shopping around for alternatives and arguably the most notable is Hugo Ekitike. Liverpool are interested in signing the Frenchman from Eintracht Frankfurt and have initiated talks about a transfer.

There is a problem, though. Frankfurt are incredibly aware that Ekitike is viewed as the Isak alternative and have priced him accordingly.

Most recent reports suggest he could cost €100m this summer - a dramatic increase on initial estimates. So is he actually worth that?

Ekitike's most recent performance certainly suggests so.

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Hugo Ekitike vs RB Leipzig

Frankfurt absolutely battered RB Leipzig this weekend, running out 4-0 winners at home in the Bundesliga. The win keeps them firmly in third, four points clear of 4th with three games still to play.

The star of the show was Ekitike, who finished with a goal and assist in the rout. The assist essentially showed him at his best, driving at the defence and leaving them clueless.

A pass into the left channel gave Ekitike the ball and he stood up his defender before driving inside. The defence backed off, he found the pass through the line and Ansgar Knauff put Frankfurt 1-0 up.

It's always fantastic to see a player as tall as Ekitike show that kind of control. His goal showed the other side of his game and why he's so incredibly difficult to defend - a towering header from a cross.

Few forwards offer up both. Ekitike is an enormous threat as a target man but can also deliver those counter-attacking bursts on the ball.

Do you stand off him and defend the box, giving him a chance to use his height? Or do you push up and challenge him, risking a burst against a divided back line?

That's why Ekitike's valuation is what it is. He's got everything in his locker and Liverpool are after exactly that kind of forward - someone to offer multiple dimensions to the attack.

Once you have a forward like that - and it's essentially what Darwin Nunez was supposed to be - you have someone who can (on paper at least) mesh well with any other forward. That's the dream scenario for Liverpool, who need someone who can play with Mo Salah but also offer a focal point for the post-Egyptian era.

Is that worth €100m? It very well might be and it's unclear if there's a better option than Ekitike out there, especially at his age (22).

He now boasts 21 combined goals and assists this season. The only player 22 or younger with more is Cole Palmer - and even that's only one more.

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We could be looking at Liverpool's next striker, then. Ekitike's performances are begging for the shirt and an offer might be on the way.