With Premier League action paused for the time being, Liverpool will be hoping to return to domestic football with a bang after losing three games in a row across all competitions – and many Anfield fans are saying the same thing about their summer signing, Hugo Ekitike, who has played in a two-man striker partnership with Kylian Mbappe against Azerbaijan.
In the summer, Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United were also interested in the promising Frenchman, and the reigning Premier League champions signed him for £79 million. Ekitike’s stint on Merseyside began with a goal on his debut in the Community Shield against Crystal Palace, but he has yet to play a complete 90 minutes under Slot.
Born and reared in Reims, the former Eintracht Frankfurt striker has piqued the interest of France manager Didier Deschamps with his goal-scoring prowess, earning two international caps against Ukraine and Iceland. His first start for his country came against Azerbaijan, but what are many Liverpool fans saying after their team won 3-0 in Paris?
Liverpool Fans Urge Slot to Make Ekitike Decision Following Full France Debut
With Premier League action paused for the time being, Liverpool will be hoping to return to domestic football with a bang after losing three games in a row across all competitions – and many Anfield fans are saying the same thing about their summer signing, Hugo Ekitike, who has played in a two-man striker partnership with Kylian Mbappe against Azerbaijan.
In the summer, Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United were also interested in the promising Frenchman, and the reigning Premier League champions signed him for £79 million. Ekitike’s stint on Merseyside began with a goal on his debut in the Community Shield against Crystal Palace, but he has yet to play a complete 90 minutes under Slot.
Born and reared in Reims, the former Eintracht Frankfurt striker has piqued the interest of France manager Didier Deschamps with his goal-scoring prowess, earning two international caps against Ukraine and Iceland. His first start for his country came against Azerbaijan, but what are many Liverpool fans saying after their team won 3-0 in Paris?
Liverpool Fans Urge Slot to Make Ekitike Decision Following Full France Debut
Ekitike wasn’t the only prominent name Slot and his entourage welcomed in order to maintain their title as England’s top side; Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, and Alexander Isak all joined the club during the summer months. The latter has complicated issues for Ekitike.
Liverpool’s lavish spending on Isak in the summer of 2025 makes keeping the Swedish sharpshooter – widely considered as one of the best attackers in the world – unthinkable when he’s fit and ready to lead the line. However, the 26-year-old has failed to attain full fitness following his intra-Premier League move from Newcastle.
He’s still Slot’s favourite pick, which is understandable – but what does this mean for Ekitike? The teenager has already stated that he enjoys the rivalry for the striker position. “It’s fun. “When you play for the best teams, you expect to compete with the best players,” he stated, adding:
“[Alexander] Isak is a player I’ve seen before, so seeing him arrive is a pleasure. It’s going to be tough competition, but I’m going to focus on doing well enough to make the manager’s job difficult.”
Another concern is if Slot can use them simultaneously. Both players, due to their sluggish approach, have showed flashes of ability to play off the left flank in the past; however, utilising them in a two-man formation up top would be ideal for a club looking to compete on all fronts this season.
Hugo Ekitike’s 25/26 Premier League Statistics Against Liverpool Squad
Metric
Output
Squad Rank
Minutes
386
11th
Goals
3
1st
xG (expected goals)
1.88
2nd
Assists
1
3rd=
Shots per game.
1.7
3rd=
Dribbles per game.
1.7
1st
Key passes each game.
0.7
8th
Overall Rating
7.11
5th
Many Liverpool fans, after witnessing Ekitike’s full international debut, in which he seamlessly linked up with none other than Kylian Mbappe, are making a similar point about a’mistake’ Slot made in the early stages of the 2025/26 season – namely, the fact that an Isak-Ekitike front two has yet to be tested. “Deschamps is playing Ekitike and Mbappe, but somehow Arne cannot play Isak and Ekitike,” one fan wrote, while another added:
“No one told me Ekitike x Isak wouldn’t work. There are numerous ways they can play together. If Deschamps, the most pragmatic manager ever, can play Mbappe and Hugo, we can play two up front as well. Slot MUST sort it out, since having one of the bench hurts us.”
“When Isak and Ekitike start playing matches together in a row and Isak regains 100% of his physical abilities… the world of football isn’t ready for such a connection,” a third fan remarked on X (previously Twitter). A last user commented, “Hugo Ekitike is so good on the ball.” Slot has to play him alongside Isak.
Ekitike has made the transfer from the Bundesliga to the Premier League appear relatively simple, and if he can form a rhythmic connection with Isak, opposition defences will have little chance of stopping goals. When Liverpool returns to action, they will face Manchester United, led by Ruben Amorim, at Anfield.
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