Liverpool shocked the footballing world by bringing in both Hugo Ekiteke and Alexander Isak in the same transfer window in 2025. They both cost a combined amount near to £205 million, with Liverpool paying around £79 million to Frankfurt for Ekiteke and £125 million to Newcastle for Isak. Liverpool currently only play with 1 striker in their system under Arne Slot. This begs the question if Slot can fit both of them in the same team ,as one can surely not have such a top player like Ekiteke or Isak on the bench, especially when they were bought for humongous transfer fees'. Let's not waste any more time then, scroll down below to see our analysis on how we think Slot can have both Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekiteke on the same side.
Hugo Ekiteke vs Alexander Isak: the comparison
When the 2025 transfer window ended and it became known to all that Liverpool have got both Hugo Ekiteke and Alexander Isak in their squad, the general opinion was that Alexander Isak was going to be the main striker at least initially in the beginning, Primarily due to factors such as his Premier League experience, higher reputation, and also due to the belief that Ekiteke would need some time to adapt to the Premier League. However, the reality has been quite different, with Ekiteke instantly becoming a hit at Liverpool and arguably their best Summer signing so far. In fact, the French striker has been involved in 5 goals in just 9 Premier League games for the Reds. Ironically, Isak, even with all his Premier League record and experience, has been horrendous so far. He has missed tons of games due to constant injury issues, and has also underperformed in the few games that he has played. The former Newcastle striker has 1 assist and 0 goals in 4 EPL appearances this season.
2 ways Arne Slot can have Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekiteke in the same team when they are both fit and firing
Play a 4-4-2 diamond formation with Isak and Ekiteke as the 2 forwards
This is one of the most realistic and practical ways Arne Slot can have Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekiteke play in the same team effectively without affecting the balance of the overall team. By playing in a 4-4-2 diamond formation, Slot can have either Dominik Szoboszlai or Florian Wirtz as the attacking midfielder behind Isak and Ekiteke to provide them with excellent support through the middle. Additionally, the strikers will also receive support from Liverpool's attacking fullbacks from the wings. This is also the best system for Ekiteke and Isak to form a deadly partnership and develop a solid connection. The primary downside in this system is that someone like Mohamed Salah or Cody Gakpo would have to be dropped to the bench.
Shift one of them to the wings and have the other play as a striker
This approach is a less riskier one than the above idea, as Arne Slot can continue with his current formation and structure with only a few tweaks required here and there. The main idea here is to move one of Ekiteke or Isak (mostly Ekiteke as he is more comfortable on the wing than Isak), and have the other play in their natural position. Thus, for example, Slot could have Ekiteke on the wings and Isak as the main striker. The duo could also interchange their positions throughout a game as well and perfectly complement each other. In this case, the major downside is that one of the players won't be playing to their full potential due to the position change.
That's it from us, the rest is up to Mr. Arne Slot to figure out a way to play these both in case a situation arises later in the season when both are fit and playing well.
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