To no longer “never walk alone” – the mantra chanted every weekend at Anfield, the home of Liverpool Football Club – Hugo Ekitiké first had to travel a long way, alone. Recruited in Frankfurt by the Reds in the summer of 2025, for around 90 million euros, the slender 23-year-old French striker went through a tricky first part of the season, which ultimately allowed him to accelerate his adaptation in the English football championship.
At the forefront of the Mersey club’s attack, often as a substitute, and more recently as a starter, the child from Reims – where he was trained, before starting his professional career – displays a more than satisfactory statistical record: 11 goals scored in 24 matches, in all competitions. Enough to get ahead of a certain Mohamed Salah, losing confidence and influence, and take on the role of top scorer for a Liverpool team, reigning English champions but particularly shaky.
In the fall, mistreated in particular in its usual fortress, the “Scousers” formation was only able to count on a handful of its executives, suffering a series of defeats. Now ranked sixth in the Premier League, after a happier series, Liverpool can thank their French center forward, scorer five times in the last four meetings. The fruit of long work, mainly athletic, begun to adapt his physique to the roughness of the championship across the Channel.
“Sometimes we had to convince him that all this was really necessary, to get stronger, but he always did itpraised his coach, Arne Slot, before welcoming Wolverhampton, Saturday December 27, for the traditional “Boxing Day” of the festive period. He didn’t always have a smile on his face, but he worked very hard to get fitter and fitter, on and off the field. »
“He gains confidence”
And his progress, particularly noticed by the demanding Anfield public, leaves no one indifferent. Not even the coach of the France team, Didier Deschamps. A few weeks after his arrival in England, Hugo Ekitiké thus received his first call-up to the Blues, where he has since made six selections and one achievement, registered on November 13 against Ukraine (4-0), on the way to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. If nothing guarantees him for the moment a place at the forefront of the attack of the France team, the French coach offers him significant playing time, and a place among his dense pool offensive.
“He gains confidenceassured Didier Deschamps, during the last outing of the Blues in 2025, on November 16 against Azerbaijan (3-1). He is a young player, but with a lot of dynamism. » And the center forward has never lacked confidence. Not even during his failed stint at Paris Saint-Germain (2022-2024), or his hesitant debut at Eintracht Frankfurt, the German press even going so far as to nickname him “Mister Zero Goal”, after 11 matches without finding the net.
Never to the extent, the French striker had naturally received copious criticism on September 23, after offering the victory to the Reds against Southampton (2-1) in the League Cup, celebrated more than reason by removing his jersey, which earned him to be excluded in the process. Once the excuse of youth was granted, his performances ended up erasing this stormy episode, still in the memory of his captain, Virgil van Dijk: “He just needs to stay calm and keep working. It’s not an easy season for us, but to have him with us, and to see him produce such statistics, it’s excellent. We need this. »
Holder at the forefront of a recomposed attack, due to the absence of Mohamed Salah, who left for the African Cup of Nations, and the injury to Alexander Isak, his main competitor for the position, Hugo Ekitiké is expected at the turn, Saturday in Liverpool, during the reception of Wolverhampton. If a new victory for the Reds would allow them to get closer to the podium, a new successful performance from the “Frenchie”, the last before 2026, would further confirm its new status.
