Hugo Ekitike backed to eclipse Alexander Isak at Liverpool as Frenchman is likened to a 'young Thierry Henry'
Updated 19/10/2025 at 14:15 GMT+1
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Liverpool's £200 million strike force is already provoking plenty of debate. Speaking on TNT Sports' The Breakdown, Joe Cole believes Hugo Ekitike will outshine Alexander Isak over the next two years, while Owen Hargreaves has compared the Frenchman to a young Thierry Henry. But with Mohamed Salah’s form dipping, Arne Slot’s challenge is balancing firepower without blunting his talisman.
'I'm not sure I can disagree' - The Breakdown panel debate the battle between Isak and Ekitike
Video credit: TNT Sports
Joe Cole has backed Hugo Ekitike to outshine Alexander Isak over the next two seasons at Liverpool, while Owen Hargreaves likened the young French striker to a young Thierry Henry.
The Reds splashed out in attack this summer, landing Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt for £79 million before smashing the British transfer record to sign Isak from Newcastle for £125m.
That spending spree has left Liverpool head coach Arne Slot with a selection headache - how to fit both big-money strikers into his system while keeping last season’s top scorer Mohamed Salah and another new arrival Florian Wirtz firing.
Isak, finally match-fit after an injury-hit start at Anfield, is still searching for his first Premier League goal but did open his account in last month's League Cup tie against Southampton.
Ekitike, meanwhile, has five goals in all competitions but has not scored since his "stupid" red card for removing his shirt after a late winner in that same cup tie.
Cole and Hargreaves were joined by Joe Hart and Ally McCoist on TNT Sports’ The Breakdown: Strikers Special, where the conversation turned to Liverpool’s new-look frontline.
Ahead of Liverpool's Premier League meeting with their great rivals Manchester United on Sunday, Cole was asked if both Isak and Ekitike would still be at the club in two years, given their shared ambition to start up front.
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"I think Ekitike outplays him [Isak] over the next two years," Cole said.
"Isak misses football games, he gets a few injuries, he’s not robust enough where he’s there every week.
"When you’ve had an injury, and you’re Newcastle’s No. 9, you might have until the second game back to get up to speed. And then you bang in your goals.
"But when you go to a big club and you come out of the team... Ekitike will come in and start banging in goals. And then the manager thinks, ‘I don’t have to take him out, we’re winning games and scoring goals’.
"I think Isak is playing within himself. He’ll score goals at Liverpool, but I just think the other player might be the better signing."
Hargreaves was similarly glowing in his praise of Ekitike, saying: "He reminds me a bit of a young Thierry. Technically, he’s so good. He’s sharp, he’s quick. He’s 6'3"."
| Alexander Isak | 2024/25 season | Hugo Ekitike |
| 34 | Appearances | 33 |
| 23 | Goals | 15 |
| 6 | Assists | 8 |
| 46 | Shots on target | 48 |
| 42 | Chances created | 44 |
| 11 | Big chances created | 12 |
| 42 | Dribbles completed | 52 |
The two were closely matched last season, albeit in different leagues, but Ekitike’s superior output has caught attention early at Anfield.
Their arrivals have coincided with a dip in Salah’s form. The Egyptian has just two goals in Liverpool’s opening seven league games.
"It’s interesting," Hargreaves said. "They had Mo, who probably had one of the greatest seasons we’ve ever seen in terms of goals and assists.
"And now Mo’s numbers are down because he’s playing with two different strikers and adjusting to them, instead of Luis Diaz."
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