LIVERPOOL FORWARD HUGO EKITIKE ADMITS SLOT’S PRESSURE KEEPS HIM PERFORMING STRONG

Hugo Ekitike laughs off Arne Slot's demanding coaching style, saying the boss is "on my back" to push his work-rate without the ball, not for a "bad thing." The striker also praises Haaland and reveals what he learned from Mbappé, Messi, and Neymar.

Liverpool forward Hugo Ekitike admits Slot’s pressure keeps him performing strong
Ekitike on Slot: “He’s on my back—and I respect it - COURTESY/PHOTO

Hugo Ekitike laughed, shook his head back, and then gave a forceful answer before the question was even finished. Is the striker frequently pushed during training by Liverpool manager Arne Slot?

"Yes!" exclaimed the striker for France. "It is annoying when you get p***ed as a player. He genuinely cares about me and the team's success. He is on my back, I would say, but not in a negative way. I do not mind because all he wants is to help me.

When a coach is on your back, you may remark on it occasionally because you feel like it is a bit too much, and you want to vent.

"But that is a good thing because I believe that a coach will not talk to you or attempt to get the best out of you if he does not like you.

"He keeps asking me to donate more and more. But I believe you ought to ask him that question.

Since joining the Premier League winners in July for £79 million from Eintracht Frankfurt, Ekitike has undoubtedly shown himself to be a quick student in English football, scoring six goals in 15 games.

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But Slot received a public reprimand after receiving an unnecessary second yellow and then a red card for removing his shirt after winning the League Cup match against Southampton in September. This disqualified him from the Premier League loss at Crystal Palace three days later, which led to Liverpool's dismal run of six straight losses.

Ekitike said, when asked for instances of the Reds manager sending forceful messages: "Of course, keep my shirt on! Without the ball, it was more about work-rate, getting more involved, and working harder for the team—all of which I am attempting to do. It is primarily about working without the ball, but we will get there."

The £125 million British record signing's fitness issues have foiled attempts to form a strike combination with Alexander Isak, as the two have only started one match together, last month's 5-1 Champions League thumping at Eintracht Frankfurt.

According to Ekitike, "He is a good player, and I am not worried about excellent players because they progress over time and learn how to discover connections and interconnections."

"I do not doubt that we can all play together, not just him but every guy in the offensive line."

Isak, who resumed training on Friday, is probably going to be benched when Liverpool travels to title contender Manchester City on Sunday in an attempt to extend their winning streak at home against Aston Villa and Real Madrid.

Erling Haaland, who has scored an incredible 18 goals in 14 games across all competitions this season, will be the opponent.

Ekitike also responded, "One of those, I would say, certainly," when asked if the Norwegian is now the finest striker in the world. He has been among the top attackers in the world for a few years, and I am absolutely considering him.

"I would incorporate a small portion from this game into my own if I could. It is quite amazing how he can perform during the game without making many touches to the ball. I am definitely keeping an eye on him."

Ekitike has a lot of experience learning from others. He is in the same France squad as his close buddy Kylian Mbappe and Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele, and he was at Paris Saint-Germain when Mbappe, Lionel Messi, and Neymar were higher up the hierarchy.

Ekitike remarked, "I try to absorb stuff from the players I love." "I enjoy watching and aim to improve my skills to become more complete.

"What did Messi teach me? Perhaps his vision. I occasionally try to see things before I am given the ball. I learned several talents and tricks, including ball control, from Neymar. Kylian could run really well without the ball, so I took his runs. There are too many things to mention them all. However, I did take some things from their game.

After assisting Liverpool in defeating his Real Madrid team in the middle of the week, Ekitike spoke with Mbappe for twenty minutes.

The 23-year-old stated, "He is glad for me because now things are working out, because he saw me in a horrible position at PSG." "We can play together and see each other on the national team. For me, he has been like a big brother.

What was the issue at PSG? Simply put, I was not playing. In the end, it was challenging. He provided me guidance and was always kind to me.

After beginning his playing career with Reims, Ekitike made the unorthodox decision to spend six months on loan in Denmark with Velje Boldklub in 2021, which he feels changed him as a player.

He stated, "I would not say it is a strange decision, but it is not what you anticipate from a young player." "I chose to go to Denmark even though most people anticipated I would get to the second level in France.

"Obviously, it was challenging, but it was excellent. I gained a lot of knowledge from this league and received regular minutes. The men were strong. I gained self-assurance for my return to France.

Ekitike went on to say, "He is an idol for us French players, so I take the praise," after learning that Thierry Henry considers him the most exciting summer acquisition.

However, I do not want to be a noteworthy addition. I want to have a fantastic season and be a terrific player.

MOHAMED SALAH SET TO LEAVE LIVERPOOL: FENERBAHCE PREPARE STUNNING THREE-YEAR CONTRACT OFFER

After a decade at Anfield, Mohamed Salah's next move is the talk of football. Will he join Messi or stay in European leagues?

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Salah Rejects Saudi Millions - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Mohamed Salah looks set to leave Liverpool this summer, and it sounds like he wants to stay in Europe. One of the hottest rumours right now is about Fenerbahçe; they’re ready to offer him a three-year deal worth around £52 million. That’s a huge pay packet, but probably not as big as what he’d get in Saudi Arabia.

Salah’s been on Merseyside for almost a decade, and it’s hard to overstate just how much he’s done for Liverpool. Since joining in 2017 with Jurgen Klopp in charge, he’s picked up two Premier League titles, a Champions League medal, an FA Cup, and two League Cups. Pretty impressive, honestly. But this season hasn’t gone his way, and new boss Arne Slot dropped him for a few games after his form dipped. When Salah announced in March that he’d be leaving, people started up with transfer rumours right away.

In recent years, clubs from the Saudi Pro League have shown considerable interest. Last year, Al Ittihad went as far as slapping a £150 million offer on the table, but Liverpool turned it down.

Now the story goes that Salah wants to stay in Europe even though he’d pocket way more in Saudi Arabia. Reports out of Egypt claim Fenerbahce, managed by Jose Mourinho’s old club, have already sat down with Salah’s agent. They apparently laid out their big plans, offering £17.3 million a year with a three-year contract, and they want to build the team around him to end their league title drought stretching back to 2014.

There’s also talk of Real Madrid getting involved. Still, their transfer policy usually steers clear of handing massive contracts to players pushing the end of their careers, even superstars like Salah. Clubs in Italy, like Roma, Juventus, and Inter Milan, are keeping tabs on him too. And just to make things more interesting, someone floated the idea of Salah joining up with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami in the MLS, though the league's salary cap throws a wrench into that.

At this point, everybody’s watching Salah’s next move; the only certainty is that he won’t be short of offers when he finally says goodbye to Liverpool.

WHY IS LIVERPOOL HESITATING TO HIRE XABI ALONSO DESPITE OVERWHELMING FAN SUPPORT?

Liverpool has contacted Real Madrid to investigate Xabi Alonso’s tenure, as pressure grows on current manager Arne Slot at Anfield.

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Liverpool Seek "Inside Scoop" From Madrid On Alonso’s Sacking Background - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Liverpool have reached out to Real Madrid to ask about Xabi Alonso, but honestly, there’s some debate going on behind the scenes. People have been talking about Alonso stepping in at Anfield, especially since Arne Slot’s season hasn’t gone over well. Fans let out some boos after that 1-1 draw with Chelsea, and the mood is pretty tense. Even though Slot led Liverpool to a league title last year, quite a few supporters seem fed up with him and would rather see Alonso take charge.

But Spanish outlet AS says Liverpool have contacted Real Madrid to get the inside scoop on what happened during Alonso’s time at the club. It sounds like the decision-makers at Liverpool are starting to feel unsure about him, and they might actually stick with Slot for another season.

Alonso landed the Real Madrid job last summer after doing wonders at Bayer Leverkusen. Still, just six months in, Madrid let him go, reportedly because the locker room was falling apart. Liverpool’s relationship with Real Madrid is strong, and they apparently want some honest feedback – kind of like asking for a reference from a past employer, which isn’t unusual.

Liverpool’s spot in next year’s Champions League is almost locked in, but with two games left, it’s not guaranteed yet. When asked about the boos, Slot admitted he has some work to do to win fans over.

He said, “Not this season. Fans won’t change their minds now. But if we get the summer we’re planning, I’m convinced we’ll be a different team next season. Results, style, everything. It’s not always easy, though. Sometimes you know what needs fixing, but getting what you want isn’t so simple. This season, it’s been pretty clear what we’re missing. We’re trying to solve it, but one issue is simply having enough fit players. Still, our guys show every week in the second half that they’re giving everything they’ve got.”

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