Arne Slot appeared to take a subtle swipe at one of Liverpool’s players as he officially introduced new signing Hugo Ekitike.
Ekitike has quickly settled in after joining Liverpool’s squad for their pre-season tour in Hong Kong.
The France under-21 striker flew out to join his new teammates and appeared at ease straight away.
Liverpool secured Ekitike’s signature in a deal potentially worth £79million with Eintracht Frankfurt.
The 23-year-old has signed a six-year contract with the Reds, who acted swiftly to complete the transfer after Frankfurt rejected an offer from Newcastle United.
Manchester United also made a late attempt to sign him.
Ekitike becomes the latest addition in a busy transfer window for Liverpool, following Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Milos Kerkez.
So far, the club has spent £265million on seven new signings as they prepare to defend their Premier League title.
The squad has seen many new faces this summer, and manager Arne Slot’s efforts to make them feel at home were clear in behind-the-scenes footage shared by the club on social media.
Ekitike signed for Liverpool on Wednesday and flew straight to Hong Kong the following day.
He met his teammates during an open training session at Kai Tak Stadium, where cameras captured their interactions.
After shaking hands with several players, Slot gathered the group to formally introduce Ekitike, whom he first spoke to at the end of the 2024/25 season.
“As you can see, we have a new player, so we’re hoping he’s the first Frenchman who can score goals for us,” Slot joked, glancing at defender Ibrahima Konate.
The players responded enthusiastically, shouting “Ibou!” while Mohamed Salah smiled and repeated “wow.”
Following this, Cody Gakpo remarked, “Oh, so you’re happy to have another Frenchman, eh!”
Maintaining good spirits within the squad could be important for Liverpool.
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