Liverpool are back in Premier League action against Sunderland on Wednesday, with Wayne Rooney drawing comparisons between Hugo Ekitike and one of Regis Le Bris’ standout players.
The Reds were edged out 2-1 by Manchester City in their last outing, leaving them with just one win from their last seven matches.
Arne Slot’s right-back options have taken another hit with Dominik Szoboszlai unavailable for the Sunderland clash.
Slot will likely need to lean on Hugo Ekitike to make an impact when Wednesday comes around.
Wayne Rooney compares Hugo Ekitike to Sunderland player
The French striker has netted 15 goals so far this season and has built a strong partnership with Florian Wirtz.
While Wirtz needed time to settle in at Anfield, Ekitike hit the ground running after his summer transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt.
Speaking on his podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, the former England forward said:
“Ekitike and Xhaka at Sunderland have probably been the two best signings in the Premier League.
“I really enjoy watching Ekitike play. His second goal against Newcastle in particular was brilliant, it reminds me of Romario. A little toe-poke goal but it’s instinctive.
“He is the type of player I like to watch. He’s not a number nine, he’s not a number 10. He drifts out wide, he gets on the ball, brings players into the game and he can score goals. So he’s got a bit of everything really.”
Ekitike leads the way as Liverpool’s top summer signing
Over the 2025 summer window, Liverpool invested more than £400 million in seven players to strengthen the first team.
Giovanni Leoni has barely been seen due to a long-term injury that has kept him sidelined.
Alexander Isak has had similar fitness problems and isn’t expected back until March.
Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz, and Ekitike are the only new faces who have shown any real promise so far. Still, Frimpong, Kerkez, and Wirtz had mixed starts to life at Anfield.
The forward hit double figures before the end of November. No other summer signing comes close to matching those numbers.
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