Hugo Ekitike joined Liverpool in a £ 79 million from Eintracht Frankfurt despite competition from a large number of clubs, including Newcastle. The Frenchman has now revealed how Arne Slot convinced him to move to Anfield
The new Liverpool star Hugo Ekitike has revealed how a “very good discussion” with Arne Slot convinced him to move to Anfield after an enormous amount of interest in his signature this summer.
The Reds won the race to sign the French striker after a sensational season in the Bundesliga saw him score 22 times and play the heads of many clubs in Europe.
Newcastle was from the interested clubs and was given a bid that was rejected by Frankfurt, with Liverpool and then shortly thereafter.
It became clear that Liverpool was the first choice of Ekitike, because they quickly completed a transfer of £ 79 million and he has now connected to the rest of his teammates during their pre-season tour through Asia.
With the deal with rubber stamp, Ekitike gave his first interview and explained how the convincing tactics of Arne Slot helped to seal the move, so that the Dutchman praised as a “really good coach and person”
“We had a very good first discussion together,” he told the club's official website. “It is clear that the coach is very human, so we can't just talk about football [but] About everything.
“I find him very interesting and I was very happy to see what I can do with him, because I think he is a very nice guy and I can still improve and move forward with him. So yes, he is a really good coach and good person at first, so that's why he made me want to come here.”
According to ESPN, Ekitike was won by Slot during a video call where the former coach of Feyenoord presented how the France star would fit into his tactical plans.
A similar conviction technique was used to bring Florian Wirtz to Liverpool for a British transfer record of £ 116.5 million, in which the father of the player Hans-Joachim revealed how Key Slot was talking to the Slinger about a possible move to the German club Bayern München.
Speaking with Der Spiegel, he said: “Arne Slot has impressed Florian on the field. He is also a very pleasant person.
“The best coaches of Florian have always been the ones who have given him a lot of freedom. And those with the greatest empathy have also reached Florian. He finds the game interesting in England because it thrives on pace and dynamics.
“Arne Slot presented his feature philosophy, the team tactics in possession and urgent, and how Florian can develop his strengths in these areas. This made a decisive impression on Florian. The training conditions in Liverpool were also completely impressive.”