Liverpool in contact to sign NEXT forward after Hugo Ekitike | OneFootball

Liverpool are already in contact to sign their next forward after Hugo Ekitike.

So, it doesn't look like Alexander Isak will be coming to Anfield, for now. But the Reds have accelerated a move for Ekitike, who seems like the perfect option for Arne Slot's style of play.

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Ekitike is still young, but already he has an impressive career behind him and he looks like he could thrive in a Liverpool team brimming with exciting attacking talent.

Crucially, what makes him a really exciting prospect is his fluidity. Ekitike isn't just a poacher, he's someone who link-up really well, who can hold the ball up, run behind defences, and also make wide runs towards the flanks to create space for others.

He's the facilitator and goal-scorer that Slot has been wanting to sign for a long time. That's why Liverpool made contact to sign Ekitike back in April as exclusively revealed by Anfield Watch.

The perks of signing Ekitike also means that Liverpool's finances will allow them to bring in another forward should Darwin Nunez leave.

This is a possibility that has been confirmed in a recent report here. Liverpool don't just want Ekitike, they want another striker.

The Reds are light in this position even if Ekitike arrives. If Nunez leaves, they will have just Ekitike and potentially some makeshift options like Federico Chiesa, Luis Diaz and Florian Wirtz to play the no.9 role.

Jayden Danns could obviously step-up but he may be better off getting regular playing time somewhere else. So, who could the Reds sign instead?

The perfect option is someone they are already in contact with. As reported recently, the Reds have touched base with Jean-Philippe Mateta's representatives over a potential summer move.

Mateta may seem like an odd name. He's just turned 28-years-old, so he's slightly older than the usual players Liverpool sign.

However, he's proven and he's a goal-scorer with the ability to consistently put his chances away. Last season out of players who averaged at least 1.8 shots per 90 minutes, Mateta had the third best goal conversion rate (23.3%) in the Premier League.

That goes to show what kind of talent he is.

The fact that he averaged 46 goal contributions for Crystal Palace in his last two seasons is also a very impressive statistic.

And this is not an anomaly either. In over 18000 minutes during his professional career, Mateta has always been a reliable finisher.

As per Wyscout his career goal conversion is just under 21%, which is still a really solid and reliable number for a forward.

Importantly, he has consistently proven he can outperform his xG. His career xG total at club level for Mainz, Lyon, Le Havre, Palace and the French Olympic team is 90.4xG. Meanwhile, his total career goals for all those teams is at 97.

So he's outperformed his xG in his career by close to 7 goals. Normally, if this was over the course of one season it would be a red flag but over the course of his career and a massive sample size this is a sign of a good finisher.

Mateta's all-round game it has to be said is nowhere near the level of Ekitike or Isak. However, he has improved that side of his game, too.

© IMAGO - Jean-Philippe Mateta Liverpool

And at the end of the day with the likes of Wirtz, Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz or potentially another option on the left-wing with exciting full-backs like Milos Kerkez, Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong, Mateta won't need to be as fluid. He can just stay in the box and put the chances away that they create for him - which is the best side of his game.

So, overall while at first glance maybe people will have been scratching their heads at Mateta, this does make sense on paper. A lot of sense in fact.

Ekitike and Mateta would be two solid options for Liverpool. Especially, if the Reds can get it done for the price of one Isak. Mateta's arrival will undoubtedly hinge on just how much Palace will want for his services - and that could be a stumbling block.