What Arne Slot told Hugo Ekitike on a zoom call last week ahead of Liverpool move

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Hugo Ekitike has been at the centre of attention for most of the summer transfer window with his move to Liverpool now edging closer.

The striker has been highly sought after this summer with Newcastle and Liverpool both fighting it out to acquire his services.

Both clubs have been on the hunt for a new number nine this summer, with Arne Slot’s men the ones who seem to have managed to get the deal for the Frenchman over the line.

And, even though Ekitike is likely to be announced as a new Liverpool player soon, it seems to have taken some convincing from the Dutchman to seal the deal.

Arne Slot called Hugo Ekitike to explain what his role would be in Liverpool’s starting XI

As mentioned, Ekitike has been wanted by both Liverpool and Newcastle for some time now.

In fact, the Magpies were even eyeing a move for the Frenchman before he chose to join Paris Saint-Germain in the first place.

And now, as per a report from ESPN, it seems like Eddie Howe’s men have been beaten to his transfer once again thanks to Slot holding a ‘zoom call’ with the attacker.

During the call, the Dutchman detailed why he’d need Ekitike to join them this summer with Slot stating that he needed a ‘dynamic number nine’ who could play just as well with or without the ball.

The report adds that this then led to Ekitike seeing himself as the ‘perfect fit’ with the Dutchman pulling off a ‘masterclass’ to get Ekitike to ‘prioritise’ a move to Anfield this summer.

Hugo Ekitike needs to hit the ground running at Liverpool as soon as possible

Last season, it was made clear that Liverpool needed a regular-scoring number nine to take some of the pressure off the shoulders of Mohamed Salah.

Although the Egyptian King likely thrived off of being Liverpool’s star man, Slot can hardly expect the attacker to put up similar numbers in the 2025-26 campaign.

The 2024-25 season was Salah’s best of his career with no other player in the Premier League even getting close to his total goal contributions.

Indeed, it may take some time for Ekitike to get used to the way that Liverpool play, but once he’s managed to do that, he’ll be expected to regularly deliver.

The transfer fee for the young Frenchman is said to be worth around £79million including add-ons, which, while a normal price in today’s market, seems like a massive risk for Liverpool.

Of course, only time will tell what the future has in store, but as long as he manages to match the likes of Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo, the Reds could be onto a winner.