Liverpool fans are all thinking the same thing about Hugo Ekitike

Anfield is buzzing, and every set of eyes inside the famous old stadium is settling on the same conclusion: Hugo Ekitike already looks like the steal of last summer’s striker splurge. The 23-year-old French forward tormented West Ham United on Wednesday night, scoring once and teeing up two more in a swaggering 5-2 victory that underlined why Liverpool chased him from Eintracht Frankfurt before the window had even opened.

It was the first time in 2026 that Ekitike has been credited with assists, yet his overall return now reads 11 goals and four helpers through the opening months of the 2025-26 Premier League campaign. Add 1.4 completed dribbles per appearance and the picture becomes clear: the Reds have acquired a complete centre-forward capable of creating, carrying and finishing at elite level.

While the club’s second major attacking purchase, Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, continues to fight for consistency, Ekitike has accelerated into the fast lane. Supporters are drawing direct comparisons with the other headline strikers who moved in July. Chelsea’s Joao Pedro has impressed, Manchester United’s Benjamin Sesko is beginning to motor, Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres has quietly driven their resurgence, and Newcastle’s Nick Woltemade remains a prospect despite mixed reviews. Yet none, argue Kopites, can match the Frenchman’s blend of end product and all-round threat.

The 80 million euro fee that once raised eyebrows now feels like smart business. Ekitike’s movement pulled West Ham apart, his link play created space for team-mates, and his finish for the opening goal was ice-cold. At full-time the consensus on the Kop was unanimous: Liverpool secured the summer’s best attacking signing, and the best may still be to come.