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Hugo Ekitike will have immense pressure on his shoulders as he prepares for his maiden campaign at Liverpool.

The Reds announced the signing of Ekitike in a £79 million deal at the end of July as the Frenchman became Richard Hughes’ fourth major signing of the summer.

He joins the Premier League champions in a summer wherein Arne Slot is organising a complete reshuffle of his title-winning side.

Florian Wirtz joined ex-Bayer Leverkusen teammate Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez as signings expected to be immediately embedded into the starting lineup for the upcoming season.

Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Although the Reds’ prolonged pursuit of Alexander Isak will have direct implications for how Ekitike is utilised this year, it is clear that the 22-year-old is already endearing himself to his Liverpool teammates.

The France Under-21 international has yet to be handed his senior debut for his country, which makes his interaction with Ibrahima Konate all the more telling of how well he is settling in at Anfield.

In a video released by Liverpool on X, Konate is seen in the middle of a photoshoot for the new Adidas kit launch while Ekitike watches on alongside Kostas Tsimikas.

“He’s got too much aura.

Wow,” Ekitike said, following up with a profound: “I love you.”

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Liverpool are known for adopting a family-style environment amongst the players, seen evidently throughout Jurgen Klopp’s reign at the club and continued by Slot.

This collective sense of togetherness is a driving factor in the Reds’ success, and the supporters will love to see the new signings gel so well with the current squad.

Konate is a beloved member of the squad, as proven by Slot teasing the Frenchman in Japan.

However, he will undoubtedly benefit from having a French teammate for the first time in his Liverpool career.

The last time the Reds sported a French pairing was when Mamadou Sakho and Aly Cissokho lined up alongside each other during the 2013/14 campaign – hopefully the current French pair enjoy a more successful stint.

On Thursday, Liverpool posted another video to X, showing Ekitike for the first time among his Liverpool teammates at the AXA Training Centre.

Now that pre-season preparations are wrapped up, the real work begins for Slot and his side ahead of the Community Shield clash against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Ekitike enjoyed a sensational Anfield debut in the match against Athletic Bilbao on Monday, showing the fans a glimpse of what to expect from the forward this season as he assisted Mohamed Salah.

Furthermore, Ekitike has blown away Wirtz in training, with all signs indicating that the forward will make an immediate impact in the Premier League.

It does beg the question of whether Liverpool indeed need to continue with what will prove to be a costly acquisition for Isak, given Ekitike is performing to such a high standard on and off the pitch.

Nevertheless, the Reds will need top-quality depth across the pitch if Slot is to deliver on his promise of fighting on all fronts this season.