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News
- 28 minutes ago
Real Madrid identify Liverpool star as Erling Haaland alternative
Tom Weber
- Updated: 31 Mar 2026 18:27 BST
- 4 min read
News
Real Madrid have identified Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike as an alternative target to Manchester City sharpshooter Erling Haaland.
The Frenchman has been one of the rare positives of what has otherwise been a disastrous campaign for Liverpool. Signed for a whopping €95 million, Ekitike has netted 17 goals across all competitions so far.
Even though Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak cost more than the 23-year-old, it has been Ekitike who has stolen the show at Anfield this term. The towering forward's flair has been a sight for sore eyes, given how blunt Liverpool's attack has been.
Current ETV
Hugo Ekitiké
F (C)
Liverpool
Hugo Ekitiké
F (C)
Liverpool
ETV Range
€66.9M - €111.5M
Ekitike's exploits have earned him admirers around Europe, and TEAMtalk claims that Real Madrid have begun to closely monitor his performances.
The Spanish giants view the France international as a viable alternative to Erling Haaland, who is a dream target for all-powerful club president Florentino Perez. However, his eight-year contract at Man City makes any deal difficult.
Real Madrid want Ekitike
As a result, Ekitike has been earmarked as a potential Plan B should Los Blancos fail to secure the signature of Haaland. Liverpool, though, don't need to be worried about this just yet.
Real Madrid are happy with their frontline for now and are not planning to make any major alterations this summer. On the contrary, any move for Haaland (or Ekitike) would only be considered in 2027 and beyond.
Los Blancos, of course, have already poached Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool, and they were also briefly interested in Ibrahima Konate. They are currently being linked with moves for Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.
For Ekitike, a move to the Spanish capital would be something of a full-circle moment. He was previously the heir apparent to Kylian Mbappe at PSG and could have the same role at Real Madrid.
However, Ekitike is unlikely to be content with sitting on the bench, and the report fails to mention how his signing would impact the likes of Mbappe and Vinicius Jr.
Pushing Mbappe to his favoured left-wing position to make way for Ekitike or Haaland would force Vinicius Jr out onto the right flank, but the Brazilian, who is expected to sign a new long-term contract soon, would surely object to this.
It therefore seems doubtful that Real Madrid will look to sign a new marquee striker unless one of Vinicius or Mbappe departs.
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