Hugo Ekitike says there was no way he could ever turn down an approach from Liverpool when it arrived last summer alongside interest from Newcastle United and Manchester United
Hugo Ekitike says it was an easy decision to join Liverpool from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer
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Hugo Ekitike admits there was no way he could turn down an approach from Premier League champions Liverpool last summer, insisting he joined "the best team in England".
The France international striker, whose debut campaign at Anfield has seen him score 15 goals, was pursued heavily by Newcastle United last summer while Manchester United also reached out to former club Eintracht Frankfurt, with director or recruitment Christopher Vivell understood to have contacted the Bundesliga side's sporting director, Markus Krosche directly.
It was Liverpool who won the race, however, signing the former Paris Saint-Germain starlet for a fee worth up to £79m in July and speaking to Sky Sports in a segment that saw the Reds' No.22 answer questions from supporters, Ekitike says it was an easy decision to make at the time.
"Why Liverpool? First of all, they are champions last season," Ekitike said. "You know you can join the best team in England. How can you say no?
"Obviously from the players they have, their style of play they have, I just saw myself playing in this team. I was thinking I would really look good and it was the best choice. It was an easy choice.
"I was on vacation in the summer and we (he and head coach Arne Slot) had a long talk on the phone and he explained to me what he likes in a player and what he expects from a player."[The goal for 2026 is] probably to achieve something big with Liverpool, win one trophy and personally just keep doing what I am doing, go to the World Cup with the national team. That would be very special." Ekitike added: "I think the first challenge when you change team is to settle well, to adapt to your team-mates, the club and the expectations from the club. And also I would say on the pitch about creating links with other players but it comes with time."Probably the intensity and the number of games we play [is different in the Premier League]. Always it is high intensity, as a level, you cannot play a Premier League game and be at like 60% of yourself because you will get bullied and you will do nothing. "So you need to be ready physically, mentally, every three days, every week to play every game. I have really good team-mates to be honest, they are really easy to talk to and I kind of talk to everybody, they help me in every way. "We don't see each other much outside of the pitch or the training ground but it is always good times, whenever you are training and they are really funny, a really good group of guys."