Liverpool's face has changed, is it the biggest spender in the Premier League?

Why has Hugo Ekitike's presence made Liverpool increasingly synonymous with the German Bundesliga?

Liverpool has officially announced the signing of new forward Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday (24/7/2025) morning WIB. Ekitike's arrival further intensifies the Bundesliga atmosphere within Liverpool. Prior to Ekitike, "The Reds" had already signed Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot appears to have inherited the player scouting network from Juergen Klopp. During Klopp's tenure as manager from 2015 to 2024, he had a highly active scouting network in the Bundesliga. Slot is utilizing that established recruitment system to strengthen the team according to his needs for the upcoming season.

A report from BBC Sport states that Liverpool and Frankfurt have agreed on a transfer fee for Ekitike amounting to 79 million pounds (approximately IDR 1.7 trillion). A total of 69 million pounds has been paid upfront, with the remaining 10 million pounds to follow later.

Ekitike is expected to help enhance the sharpness of Liverpool's front line. Mohamed Salah is aging, while Darwin Nunez has yet to prove himself as a reliable source of goals for Liverpool. Moreover, there are rumors surrounding Luis Diaz's potential departure, and Liverpool has just lost Diogo Jota, who has passed away.

Ekitike is one of the most prolific players in the Bundesliga. The French passport holder scored 22 goals and provided 12 assists in 48 matches across all competitions last season. He also became the most dangerous player by taking 117 shots in the Bundesliga. No other player was able to match Ekitike's number of shots.

Before Ekitike, Liverpool signed Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for a fee of 116 million pounds (approximately 2.5 trillion IDR), which has so far become the most expensive transfer record in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Frimpong was acquired from Leverkusen for a cost of 29.5 million pounds (approximately 652 billion IDR).

Only Milos Kerkez, a recruit of Liverpool this summer, is not from the Bundesliga. The left-back of Hungarian nationality was brought to Liverpool from fellow English club, Bournemouth.

Why is Liverpool's spending spree this summer an anomaly for the reigning Premier League champions?

Typically, after winning a trophy, reigning Premier League champions tend to be more passive in the summer transfer window. However, that's not the case for Liverpool. They've gone all out in the transfer market. They've spent a total of 308 million euros (Rp 5.7 trillion) this summer on five new players.

In fact, previously, Liverpool had never spent more than 200 million pounds in a single season during the tenure of legendary manager Juergen Klopp (2015-2024). Before acquiring Hugo Ekitike, Liverpool had already brought in four players.

They are Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, and Armin Pecsi. All of them have been brought in before the first preseason match began. Meanwhile, Liverpool has only sold four players for a total value of 66 million pounds.

Klopp's statement in the past regarding the financial disparity between Liverpool and wealthy teams, such as Manchester City, has suddenly become irrelevant. "No one can compete with City in that regard. What can Liverpool do? We cannot be like that. It is impossible," he stated in 2022.

Regardless of that, Liverpool has displayed something unusual for a defending champion team. Over the past decade, champion teams tend to be more passive during the summer transfer window. They are already confident with their existing squad, only striving to make minor improvements.

City, after winning the league in the 2020-2021 season, for instance, only purchased one player in the subsequent transfer window. They brought in winger Jack Grealish to enhance their attack on the left side. They had previously acquired six players after losing the title to Liverpool in the 2019-2020 season.

The need for regeneration is reinforced by data from Transfermarkt. The average age of Liverpool's starters last season was 27.2 years, making it the fifth oldest in the league. The addition of young players, such as Wirtz (22) and Ekitike (23), will refresh the squad of the Reds this season.

How does Liverpool balance its spending spree with the Premier League's sustainability rules (PSR)?

Liverpool's shopping desires have not ceased despite having spent 308 million euros (Rp 5.7 trillion) on several new players this summer. They are reportedly still interested in acquiring striker Alexander Isak. The Newcastle United player is currently valued at 120 million euros (Rp 2.2 trillion).

So, how does Liverpool balance its books to avoid sanctions related to the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules (PSR)? These rules are in place to maintain the club's financial health. Some clubs that are less extravagant in player spending, such as Leicester City and Everton, have even been punished for violating these rules.

According to Sky Sports, after consulting with football financial experts, Liverpool is actually in a safe position. Their current expenditures are still considered within the compliance corridor of the PSR. The key is good management over the past few years.

Last season, for instance, they actually experienced a surplus thanks to player sales amounting to 60 million pounds sterling. This means they still have a transfer budget from the previous season that has not been utilized.

Liverpool, which has already received more than 60 million pounds from sales in the current transfer window, is also still open to offers from other clubs. They could potentially earn an additional 150 million pounds from the sales of Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz, and Harvey Elliott.

The main issue is that if they proceed to recruit Isak, Liverpool will have two main strikers who both need playing time. Hugo Ekitike, the new player who still requires adaptation to the Premier League, will almost certainly lose a significant amount of playing time if Isak joins. This is not the best scenario for the development of the 23-year-old forward.

That substantial amount of money can also be used to improve quality in other areas, such as defense. They need a new center-back to safeguard the future of the club. Virgil van Dijk is already 34 years old. Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konate's contract will expire next year.

How does Alexander Isak's conundrum relate to Liverpool and Saudi Arabia?

Alexander Isak has repeatedly expressed his love for his club, Newcastle United. However, all of this has not yet been able to make the star commit 100 percent to Newcastle.

The uncertainty surrounding Isak's future arose during Newcastle's preseason match at Celtic Park Stadium, Glasgow, Scotland, on Saturday (19/7/2025). Isak was not included in the squad to face the host team, Celtic. He was even sent back from Glasgow before the match.

The situation felt quite odd. Isak was actually sent back after rumors of his transfer to Liverpool began to subside. A few days earlier, according to The Athletic, Liverpool had inquired about the possibility of transferring the striker from Newcastle. The negotiation efforts were rejected.

Just a day later, Liverpool immediately switched their target to Eintracht Frankfurt's talented striker, Hugo Ekitike. With the transfer finally completed, Isak's future remains uncertain. "We are studying and analyzing all options, and we are likely close to deciding the player's next move," Isak's agent, Gonzalo Gaitan, told Saudi Arabian media outlet Arriyadiyah.

The biggest obstacle for clubs wanting to acquire Isak is money. He is tagged with a price ranging from 120 to 150 million pounds sterling. This value is very much in line with Isak's quality, but it is less realistic as it could disrupt the financial stability of the purchasing club.

Speaking of exorbitant prices, rumors have pointed to Saudi Arabian clubs. Only they can afford to bring in players at such exorbitant prices. Sure enough, according to L'Equipe, Al-Hilal have entered negotiations to sign Isak in recent days.

Why would Bryan Mbeumo's presence complete Manchester United's trident?

The arrival of the national team winger from Cameroon, Bryan Mbeumo, has brightened the prospects of Manchester United's forward line. MU manager Ruben Amorim is now in search of a spearhead to complete the pieces of the "Red Devils" dream trident.

After a protracted month of negotiations, MU officially signed Mbeumo from Brentford for a transfer fee of 75 million euros (IDR 1.4 trillion) on Tuesday (22/7/2025) WIB. This seventh most expensive purchase in MU's history has signed a five-year contract, lasting until June 2030.

Mbeumo has always wanted to join MU, rejecting many offers from other clubs. "As soon as there was an opportunity, I knew I had to seize the chance to join my dream club. This is the team whose jersey I wore while growing up," he stated.

The 25-year-old forward brings increased confidence to MU ahead of the new season. He arrives with the status of the fourth most productive player in the English Premier League for the 2024-2025 season, having scored 20 goals. Only three players surpassed his record: Erling Haaland, Alexander Isak, and Mohamed Salah.

Mbeumo is not a figure who suddenly appeared and immediately shone. He has grown gradually from year to year. He first arrived in England while representing Brentford in 2019. He led Brentford to rise to the top tier and then managed to avoid relegation for four consecutive seasons.

In his first season in the English League, 2021-2022, Mbeumo recorded 4 goals and 7 assists. This tally increased in the following two seasons, with 9 goals and 8 assists (2022-2023) and 9 goals and 7 assists (2023-2024). He was able to maintain his contributions in 2023-2024, despite appearing 13 times less than in the previous season.

Mbeumo has become the second major signing for MU in this transfer window. Previously, Brazilian national team winger Matheus Cunha had already joined from Wolverhampton Wanderers. Both players are a response from the Red Devils to address the goal production issues.