Hugo Ekitike says he considers one of his Liverpool teammates to be his 'brother'

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And now that he’s been a part of Arne Slot’s squad for a couple of months, he’s already admitted that Ibrahima Konate has become like a brother to him. Ibrahima Konate has been like a ‘brother’ to Hugo Ekitike since he joined LiverpoolBefore joining Liverpool, Ekitike was overlooked by Didier Deschamps despite his solid form for Frankfurt towards the latter end of the 2024-25 season.

Since then, France’s manager seems to have come to his senses and has finally given Liverpool’s talisman his international debut. When asked about Konate, he replied: “Brother.”Not only does this show how quickly he’s managed to integrate within Liverpool’s first-team squad, but it also outlines how quickly he’s got used to being a part of France’s national team.Hugo Ekitike must start every Liverpool game, even when Alexander Isak is back in actionEver since Isak joined Liverpool on deadline day, a debate has been had about who the Reds’ starting striker should be.

However, even in the snippets of performances that Liverpool’s fans have seen from Isak, it’s clear that Ekitike should be the one to lead the line for now.The Frenchman seems to be able to create something out of nothing, and he’s often been rather clinical when presented with a chance in the final third. Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty ImagesEkitike also drops back a bit more than Isak, and with Liverpool having Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah as inverted wingers, their strikers dropping back and creating chances is essential.At the moment, Slot doesn’t have the dilemma of who to start due to Isak’s injury, but even when Isak is ready to feature again, it’s hard to see why Ekitike should be dropped.