Wayne Rooney suggests Man Utd and Arsenal should have signed £79m Liverpool star

Wayne Rooney has suggested Manchester United and Arsenal should have signed Hugo Ekitike ahead of Liverpool instead of Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres.

Man United, Arsenal and Liverpool were all in the market for new strikers during last summer’s transfer window.

United signed Benjamin Sesko in a £74m deal from RB Leipzig after missing out on Sporting star Gyokeres, who completed a £64m move to Arsenal.

Premier League champions Liverpool, meanwhile, spent £79m on Ekitike before splashing out another £125m on Alexander Isak.

Ekitike has enjoyed a bright start to his Anfield career despite Liverpool’s disappointing title defence, scoring 15 goals in all competitions, ten alone in the Premier League.

Sesko, in contrast, has been Manchester United’s only underwhelming summer signing with just five league goals, although he was the hero on Sunday as his injury-time goal sealed a thrilling 3-2 win over Fulham.

Gyokeres has also attracted criticism despite Arsenal topping both the Premier League and Champions League, having scored just three league goals since mid-September.

The Sweden international is becoming a more regular contributor for Arsenal, however, netting four goals in his last six appearances in all competitions.

Rooney believes Gyokeres is ‘making a difference’ to Arsenal despite his somewhat underwhelming numbers and ‘having an impact’ on their title charge.

‘We saw what Gyokeres did at Sporting, I know it was obviously a different country but he was scoring more goals than anyone and was absolutely on fire,’ he said on The Wayne Rooney show.

‘I’ve backed Gyokeres this season and people have given me a bit of stick but I still think he’s making a different to Arsenal, I really do.

‘He’s occupying defenders and that’s helping the team. I know he’s not got the goals or assists you’d want from your centre forward but I still think he’s having an impact.’

Despite defending Gyokeres, Rooney insists he has been far more impressed by Liverpool’s summer signing Ekitike, who scored twice in Saturday’s 4-1 win over Newcastle United.

Asked whether, given his praise of Gyokeres, he would take the Arsenal striker over Ekitike, Rooney replied: ‘No.

‘Ekitike and [Granit] Xhaka at Sunderland have probably been the two best signings in the Premier League. I really enjoy watching Ekitike play. 

‘His second goal [against Newcastle] in particular was brilliant, it reminds me of Romario. A little toe-poke goal but it’s instinctive.

‘He is the type of player I like to watch. He’s not a number nine, he’s not a number 10. He drifts out wide, he gets on the ball, brings players into the game and he can score goals.

‘So he’s got a bit of everything really.’

Rooney also discussed the difference between Ekitike and big-money Manchester United summer signing Sesko, who has lost his place in the team.

‘I really enjoy watching those type of players [like Ekitike],’ Rooney said. ‘He’s got that arrogance and confidence.

‘If you look at Sesko for instance, he looks like he needs a bit of guidance and a bit of help when he’s on the pitch.

‘I know he scored the winner today thankfully but he looks like he needs a bit of guidance whereas Hugo Ekitike it looks like you can just put him on the pitch.

‘He’s got that swagger about him which I think you need to be at that top-level.’

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