Liverpool will sign ANOTHER Alexander Isak

Liverpool have a striker they could sign who is exactly like Alexander Isak and who would cost a lot less.

Right now, the perception among Reds supporters is that it's the Swedish striker or no one else this summer.

Liverpool transfer news today: Richard Hughes gets 'go ahead' to pull off 'well advanced' €60m deal

If Richard Hughes does not get him, it's all bust for Liverpool.

But the reality is not that simple. The reality is that Newcastle will not be willing to let their prized asset go.

Even if Isak pushes for a deal, Newcastle will demand an extortionate figure touted at around £150m. During a summer when Liverpool have so much to sort out spending that kind of money on one player feels irresponsible.

It's not what Liverpool have done in the past and it's unlikely what Hughes will do in the future.

READ MORE: Is Alexander Isak not the one? Liverpool in talks for DIFFERENT Premier League striker

Especially when there is a player very similar to Isak available for half the price.

Why Hugo Ekitike is the forward Liverpool will sign and why he's just like Isak

Hugo Ekitike has been on Liverpool's radar for some time and he's a target for the Reds this summer. But unlike Isak, he's not going to make Hughes break the bank.

Recent reports have claimed Frankfurt are willing to sell him for €80m, which is less than half the price of Isak. Yet you get a similar player only slightly younger and a little bit behind Isak in his development but with an equally high ceiling.

One thing that has been said against Ekitike has been his underperformance in xG this season. Ekitike has underperformed his xG by -3.51.

But this is a figure that's actually massively influenced by the fact that he's missed two penalties this season. And if we stretch those numbers out to all competitions this season - he's underperformance is only -1.67.

Even in the Bundesliga he's only underperforming his non-penalty xG by -0.10 per 90 minutes.

None of this will be a concern to Liverpool. The club's scouts will be looking at Ekitike way beyond the xG and seeing how well he would fit into Slot's set-up and what his potential is.

But even just looking at the xG, Ekitike has the highest in the Bundesliga (16.53) above even Harry Kane. The fact that he gets himself into so many goal-scoring opportunities will be a positive for scouts, not a negative.

His 16.67% goal conversion can be improved, but it’s important to note that Ekitike is still young and this area of a striker’s game often develops at a later age when they mature.

Take Isak as an example. At the same age as Ekitike, while he was playing in La Liga for Real Sociedad, he had a goal conversion rate of just 8.33% during the 2021/22 campaign prior to his move to the Premier League, where he’s not averaging a 29.39% goal conversion rate.

Isak is a great example when it comes to xG as well. In that final season with Sociedad he ranked in the top 10 forwards in La Liga for xG (10.73).

Yet he scored just six goals in La Liga during the 2021/22 campaign - he underperformed his xG by a whopping -4.73.

The move still worked out brilliantly for Newcastle to bring him in. Isak is now overperforming his xG and he's one of the best strikers around.

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Ekitike has the potential to do the same and he'll cost way less money, which is why Liverpool will pursue him rather than Isak.

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