Liverpool had a pretty dynamic summer as Arne Slot focused on making changes in the squad. However, despite all the changes, one constant has always remained in Merseyside since 2017, and that is Mohamed Salah.
The Reds also bought in two new strikers in Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak. Both were record breakers in their own right, as Isak became the most expensive British transfer and Ekitike became the most expensive French striker in history.
£125m and £69m were spent respectively on the next generation of Liverpool target men. Isak hasn’t been able to display his full potential yet, though, as the Swedish international wasn’t deemed fit.
To get a transfer out of Newcastle, Isak hasn’t trained or played with the Magpies since preseason. Hence, when he arrived at Liverpool, it was logical to get him back to competitive football in steps.
Ektike, on the other hand, has hit the ground running. The Frenchman has already scored five and assisted once in six appearances.
Hugo Ekitike on Mohamed Salah personality
Hugo Ekitike talks about Mohamed Salah (Credits: Imago Images)
In talks with the BBC, Ekitike revealed that Mohamed Salah’s personality wasn’t what he’d expected. He compared the Egyptian King to his TV persona and found differences.
“Mo is a really cool guy. He is really open with me and is really good to talk to. He is great to play with. I was watching him on TV when he was scoring the goals and stuff, but he is a really great athlete. You can just improve yourself and learn from him.”
“It is good to share the pitch with him, and I hope we are going to score lots of goals and bring some wins to the team together. He is very cool. More cool than what I have seen on TV because sometimes you see a straight face and stuff, so I thought he was cold… someone who doesn’t talk a lot.”
Quiz: Can you name the team Liverpool signed these players from?
The openness at Liverpool
Ekitike also described the environment in Merseyside as he talked about how open his teammates were. He also mentioned that the players are really helping him adapt.
“But he is really open, like all of the guys here. They are really open and want me to adapt to the team”, Ekitike continued. The French striker has appeared in most of the games for the Reds and will be hoping to do so despite the competition against Isak.
