Fresh off their Premier League triumph, Liverpool have been active in the transfer market, with club officials eager to reinforce Arne Slot’s squad and build on last season’s momentum.
On Wednesday night, the Reds confirmed the signing of Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt, with the 23-year-old joining after a standout campaign in the Bundesliga. ..Continue Reading
Liverpool reportedly settled on a deal worth around £69 million, with an additional £10 million in performance-related bonuses, and Ekitike completed his medical in England without any complications.
He became the fifth senior signing of the summer for Liverpool, joining Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Giorgi Mamardashvili, and Florian Wirtz at Anfield.
Even with Ekitike’s arrival, Liverpool are still pursuing Alexander Isak, who has informed Newcastle that he’s open to exploring new opportunities away from St James’ Park.
Supporters got their first glimpse of Ekitike in Liverpool gear on Thursday as he linked up with the squad during their pre-season tour in Asia.
Van Dijk was seen embracing Ekitike at Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong before their friendly against AC Milan, later sharing the exact words he offered to the striker.
‘He’s just flown in. I’ll probably fine him for wearing the wrong kit!’ the Netherlands defender joked.
‘Listen, it’s good to have him here. I said to him, “The hard work starts now”.
‘He has to work his socks off and be important for us whenever he can. That’s the message.’
Van Dijk has been encouraged by Liverpool’s signing and believes the likes of Ekitike, Frimpong and Wirtz would not have been added to the squad if they lacked the necessary qualities.
The Dutchman added: ‘I think they will definitely have the quality to play for Liverpool.
‘For me, it’s very important how the settle into the group and how they fit into the squad we have and I think they do perfectly well, all of them.
‘Armin [Pecsi], the young goalkeeper, just came from out of nowhere and he’s settled in pretty well.
‘Obviously, Freddie [Woodman], Giorgi [Mamardashvili], Hugo came today, of course.
‘Everyone has to work hard and we’re all in this together. That’s the main thing, we stick together no matter what.’
According to Van Dijk, Liverpool can ill afford to rest on their laurels heading into the new campaign considering their rivals have also spent big money on improving across the summer.
‘We all start from scratch this season. I think everyone has tried to improve their teams and us as well,’ the Liverpool skipper added.
‘I think we’ve made great additions to the team so far. Let’s see what happens for the rest of the transfer window.
‘It’s all down to hard work and showing our quality and consistency. We know how difficult that is so we must focus on ourselves and the hard work has already begun.
‘We work so hard in training, double sessions in the heat and humidity. But it’s good to be here and seeing so many fans. We really appreciate it.’
