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Hugo Ekitike opened up on his initial discussions with Arne Slot(Image: Liverpool FC / YouTube)

Hugo Ekitike simply replied "pressing" when asked what he and Arne Slot spoke about ahead of his transfer to Liverpool.

The 23-year-old recently completed his move to Anfield from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal worth up to £79million, with the Reds revamping their forward line in the transfer window ahead of the new Premier League season.

Given Ekitike managed 22 goals and 12 assists for Frankfurt in 48 appearances across all competitions last term, it comes as no surprise that Slot earmarked the striker as a worthwhile acquisition as the summer window opened for business.



The Frenchman arrived in London for a medical earlier this month before joining his new coach and team-mates on their pre-season tour of Hong Kong and Japan.

His journey to Liverpool was well documented by official club media, with the Reds uploading behind-the-scenes footage of his medical to their YouTube earlier this week.

And in the video, Ekitike let slip exactly what he and Slot spoke about before he committed his future to Anfield in a six-year deal.

When asked if he had spoken to Slot yet as he completed his medical with Liverpool, as well as what the head coach had told him, Ekitike simply said: "Pressing," before cracking a wry smile and chuckling.

He added: "But no, we've been talking about a bit of everything, not even only football.

"We talked a bit about everything, like what he expects from a player, what type of player he likes, and also human beings, how people are and also that in this club it was really important to be a good person and all of that stuff."

Liverpool's relentless pressing out of possession was perfected by Jurgen Klopp during his nine-year tenure with the club, and it's a style of play that Slot has continued to implement since taking the reins last year.

And if their conversation is anything to go off, it is evident that Slot will expect Ekitike to work tirelessly when the opposition has the ball in order to disrupt the flow and force errors in a bid to win it back.

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Despite having huge boots to fill upon his arrival at Anfield, given the remarkable work of Klopp between 2015 and 2024, Slot exceeded expectations last term, winning the Premier League title in his maiden season.

Arne Slot spoke to Hugo Ekitike about pressing(Image: Getty Images)

And as the Reds will be keen on defending their trophy in the coming season, as well as potentially excelling in domestic cups and the Champions League, the 46-year-old has wasted very little time in securing a wealth of fresh faces during the summer transfer window.

After Trent Alexander-Arnold departed for Real Madrid ahead of the Club World Cup, Slot wasted no time in activating Jeremie Frimpong's £29.5m release clause with Bayer Leverkusen to recruit him as an instant replacement.