Liverpool Scouting Report 2025/2026: Does Alexander Isak Or Hugo Ekitike Best Fit Arne Slot Tactics? – Player Analysis

After ending Manchester Citys Premier League title-winning streak by finishing as EPL Champions in the 2024/2025 season, Liverpool will look to strengthen their squad for the upcoming season.

Winning the league title in his debut season was a milestone for Arne Slot; however, the champions fell short in the UEFA Champions League and Carabao Cup Final.

Making a Round of 16 exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain on penalties highlighted their inability to finish in crucial moments.

After bolstering their defence and midfield through the signings of Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen and Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth, Slot’s side have their eyes set on the striker position.

The two candidates in hot contention are Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike.

With no final word yet from either club, Liverpool are simultaneously approaching both.

While an Alexander Isak transfer or a Hugo Ekitike transfer to Anfield would significantly strengthen LFC for the upcoming 2025/2026 English Premier League season, the question is which player is the best fit for Arne Slot tactics?

In this Alexander Isak scout report and Hugo Ekitike player analysis, we will compare Isak and Ekitike, examine their playing styles, and determine which player would be a better fit for the current Reds squad.

How Do Liverpool Strikers Play?

In the 2024/2025 season, Liverpool deployed multiple players in the striker position, namely Luis Díaz, Darwin Núñez, Cody Gakpo, and the late Diogo Jota.

Let us take a look at how the striker position was interpreted under Arne Slot coaching style.

Liverpool Strikers In The Attacking Phase

The Liverpool attacking line is comprised of distinct personalities, so each player interprets the striker position a bit differently.

However, common trends include the striker linking play in Zone 14, dropping deep to assist with progression, peeling wide to create overloads, and making runs into the space behind.

Here, we can see Darwin Núñez linking play in zone 14.

Although it is a tight area, the striker creates a yard of space for himself to play a return pass to his teammate.