Sorry Sesko, elite Ekitike is EVERYTHING Liverpool needed

Liverpool are constantly assessing the options on the market before they make a final decision.

Once a player's signing is confirmed, you can feel confident that the club has made the right call.

🔴 Shop the LFC 2025/26 adidas home range

Especially under the leadership of Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes in the recruitment team, the Reds' data-based approach has delivered countless successful transfers over the years.

🔴 Shop the LFC 2025/26 adidas away range

So while the price paid for Hugo Ekitike - £69m plus £10m in add-ons - might appear to be steep to most of the fanbase, myself included, we can rest easy that Liverpool knew what they were doing.

Ekitike is a better fit for Liverpool than Sesko

Transfers for strikers this summer have led to extraordinary amounts of money being exchanged.

Viktor Gyokeres' move to Arsenal was for a package of around £64m, Joao Pedro left Brighton for Chelsea after a £60m fee was agreed and Victor Osmihen joined Galatasaray from Napoli for £65m.

READ MORE: Diogo Jota's legacy is bigger than any of us realised

No one is going cheap and so while Liverpool's fee for Ekitike is on the high side, things certainly could've been a lot worse when you consider the ongoing negotiations for Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko.

Manchester United have just recently made an approach of €75m plus €10m, totalling £74m which undercuts Newcastle's increased offering of €80m plus €10m (£78m overall) - with the players' decision now at the epicentre of the saga and he's reportedly open to moving to either club.

If the higher of the two offers ends up being accepted, then the comparisons between Sesko and Ekitike will come naturally, since they'll both be Premier League players and the fees are similar.

But that is not to suggest that they are comparable players. On the surface level, you can recognise that the Slovenian has 82 career goals whereas the Frenchman has 44, despite being year older.

However, only 39 of Sesko's goals came in all competitions when he was playing in a team in a top five league - at Leipzig in the Bundesliga. Only three of Ekitike's were outside a top five league.

READ MORE: How the gamer celebration became the world's way to honour Diogo Jota

And then we've got to address the elephant in the room which is that far more analysis goes into picking a striker than comparing attacking returns, although Liverpool's star is far more creative.

Anfield Watch looked at this very issue earlier this year, when both players were on Liverpool's radar and the conclusion was clear - Ekitike averages more XG per 90 minutes and he has a greater desire to move into space rather than wait around for 'service', as backed up by his superior progressive carries, shot creating actions, take-ons and tackles and recoveries, all measured per 90 minutes.

Liverpool got a glimpse of the Frenchman's potential on Monday evening when he assisted the Reds' opening goal in a friendly at Anfield against Athletic Club, which was scored by Mohamed Salah.

For the Reds, he's a far better fit and so there should be no debate about whether the right choice was made and in time, we will gradually be able to see him prove his worth, in regard to his transfer fee, which was no doubt inflated by the insane changes to transfer market valuations this summer.

Edwards and Hughes got their man and the evidence shows that Ekitike is everything we wanted.

🔴 Shop the LFC 2025/26 adidas home range

Liverpool agree to sell contract rebel for €55m

Fabrizio Romano CONFIRMS Alexander Isak decision

Real Madrid want to use Florian Wirtz in Rodrygo deal