Look, Liverpool would love to win the Premier League again this season, and perhaps they will.

But FSG and Arne Slot are a match made in heaven, and it’s because steering away from the myopic target of single-season success is something that is expertly juggled with the wider vision of a sustained period of success over many years.

So while the likes of Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz and the rest have been signed because of their potential to lead the Reds toward trophy-winning exploits this year, the reasoning behind these bumper deals lies more with the grander scale of Slot’s plans.

To put it another way, Liverpool have dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s when conducting their transfer business, ensuring everything is just so as they look to stay on top for many years to come.

Though many would consider Wirtz to be the cream of the summer crop, it’s Ekitike who has made a barnstorming start to life on Merseyside, rubber-stamping FSG’s decision to fork out big money for his signature.

Why Liverpool signed Hugo Ekitike

Liverpool signed Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal rising to £79m, and his early exploits in a Red shirt suggest that he could not only prove an upgrade on Nunez, but potentially a defining number nine for the Anfield side.

With two goals and an assist from two matches as a Liverpool player, Ekitike has a base from which to build on, and while there are many trials ahead of the 23-year-old, there’s a collective sense among the fanbase that Slot has welcomed a special player to his squad.

Against Bournemouth last Friday, he showcased not only an aptitude for scoring but a skill in the build-up, linking with his teammates and displaying his combative side too, winning five duels.

Whether Ekitike turns out to be a superstar signing like Mohamed Salah or, stretching further back, a talisman like Luis Suarez, remains to be seen, but he’s certainly started off with strong strides.

However, the Frenchman may yet face a fight for his place across the coming term.

Liverpool prepare late offer to sign Ekitike rival

According to reports in Spanish, Liverpool have not been deterred by the many obstacles in their pursuit of signing Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, and they are ‘preparing a powerful new offer.’

It’s stated that Liverpool are ‘willing to take a giant step’, now ready to launch an offer of around €160m (£138m) to convince Newcastle.

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Isak’s incendiary statement pertaining to his desire to leave St. James’ Park and his belief that promises have been broken by the Magpies hierarchy was met with a refusal on PIF’s part to grant the 25-year-old striker his wish.

Will he play in a Liverpool shirt in two weeks? Isak is desperate to sign for the Merseysiders, who have already seen an initial £110m approach rejected.

But encouragement is needed from the Toon camp, and none appears to be forthcoming.

Why Liverpool still want to sign Isak

It’s probably worth stressing that the final stretch of the summer transfer window is bound to be a frenetic thing, and Liverpool’s chances of landing Isak would increase dramatically if Newcastle pull off their deal for Brentford’s Yoane Wissa and then remain in the market for another striker.

Such a stance would denote their acceptance that Isak needs replacing and selling this month. Hardly a given, though.

Liverpool could do with a striker of Isak’s ilk, even with Ekitike hitting the ground running. The Sweden international’s goalscoring and athletic skill has seen him emerge as one of the finest marksmen around, with Newcastle legend Alan Shearer hailing his “world-class” talent (whether the pundit would sh such praise right now is another question).

Last season alone, Isak scored 27 goals and supplied six assists as United reclaimed a place in the Champions League and won the Carabao Cup, scoring against Liverpool at Wembley. If Liverpool succeed, there’s no doubt that he has the potential to rival the finest to do it at number nine on Merseyside.

Perhaps he’d be in the mould of Suarez, that all-consuming forward of old. What a player, his predatory instincts in the final third, his movements and his intelligence, all coming together to leave him hailed as one of the greatest strikers in Premier League history.

Suarez is, of course, one of the greats of the modern English game, almost single-handedly dragging Brendan Rodgers’ side to a maiden Premier League title in 2013/14, scoring 31 goals from only 33 matches in the top flight.

Remembered as one of the most unstoppable strikers of his generation, it’s curious to look at how Isak’s Premier League career compares to the Uruguayan’s, with some exciting facts to be noted.

Games

109

133

Goals

62

82

Goal rate

0.57

0.62

Assists

11

32

Assist rate

0.10

0.24

G/A rate

0.67

0.86

No doubt, Suarez had more about him from a creative standpoint, but that’s hardly a fact that is to the £120k-per-week Isak’s detriment; the Scandinavian is one of the most complete strikers in the game, after all.

Considering that data-driven platform FBref have revealed through statistical analysis that Isak is comparable to Ekitike, Slot could find he has something of a hybrid on his hands, who has been hailed as a “machine” in front of goal by Fabrizio Romano.

The fact that Isak only trails Suarez’s goals-per-game rate at Liverpool across his three years as a Magpie is remarkable, and he’s also a mobile and creative player in the same vein as Liverpool’s new man in the middle, Ekitike.

FBref record that Isak, while principally a devastating goalscorer, ranks among the top 18% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues for shot-creating actions, the top 12% for progressive passes, the top 7% for progressive carries and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90.

A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.

He’s the real deal, all right, and while Ekitike is a thrilling talent, Liverpool would land someone more complete and more refined in Isak, capable of rivalling the France talent while also offering shades of Suarez in Slot’s high-flying squad.