Hugo Ekitiké is a £79m striker who has swapped the Bundesliga for the Premier League champions and is preparing to test himself against the best defenders in England and Europe. Four years ago, he was struggling to make the breakthrough at his boyhood club Reims and was sent on loan to Denmark to learn about football and himself.
Ekitiké arrived as an 18‑year‑old in the city of Vejle in January 2021 to join a club primed for a relegation battle, a world away from what he can expect at Liverpool. Although a naturally confident person, he took time to settle into life away from home. But it was quickly apparent Ekitiké possessed natural ability and electrifying pace with which to torment teammates in training and excite his manager. First, though, he needed to get up to speed with the Danish league and began with a cameo off the bench in a goalless draw against Aarhus.
“We put him on for the final 10 minutes as a striker and he didn’t play very well, but that is normal,” the former Vejle head coach Constantin Galca says. “You need a little time to adapt to the team. But the next game we put him left-wing. We saw before in the clips of him that he had good control, good speed. Before he was playing more as a striker, but we thought he would be dangerous on the wing. He’s a perfect player for modern football because he has all the attributes: pace, skill, physicality and finishing.”
Ekitiké showed for Liverpool on Sunday, in the Community Shield against Crystal Palace, why Galca thought he would be an asset on the wing. Although he started as the central striker, he cut in from the left and curled the ball into the corner for the opener. If Alexander Isak arrives from Newcastle in the next few weeks it could be a useful option for Arne Slot.
At Vejle, Ekitiké’s naivety was as obvious as his talent and he had to bide his time. It was almost two and a half months, during which he made four substitute appearances, before Ekitiké was given a start, at Odense.
“Denmark is a hard place to move to in winter for anyone,” Galca says. “The days are short, the nights are long and it is very cold. But step by step, he spoke a little more. He became more settled in the environment and got to know his teammates.
“He worked very hard every day and earned the confidence of his teammates. He was very smart, learning and adapting to our philosophy very quickly.”
Ekitiké became a big part of the dressing room. When the music played he was first up to dance, trying to encourage his more conservative Danish teammates to join in. He is remembered at the club for an infectious smile and was embraced, despite the pleasure he took in humiliating more experienced colleagues in training with his quick feet and dribbling prowess.
At Reims the following season Ekitiké was better equipped to deal with everything. He scored 10 Ligue 1 goals and in July 2022 Paris Saint-Germain took him on loan before making the deal permanent a year later for €35m. He was transferred to Eintracht Frankfurt in 2024 for just under half that.
Considering the figures for which the 23-year-old has been sold, it is surprising he is yet to make his full international debut, even allowing for the talent at France’s disposal. The clubs have, in essence, paid for potential and Liverpool feel that if he continues at the same rate of progression he will become one of the world’s leading marksmen. He scored 15 times in 33 Bundesliga games for Eintracht Frankfurt last season.
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“It doesn’t matter if he played facing or with his back to the goal, he always had a solution, regardless of the situation, whether he was close to goal or further back up the pitch,” Galca says. “It proved he had good quality, because it is difficult to think of the solution before receiving the ball and then play fast when you get it.”
Galca often used Ekitiké as a winger. The player’s key contributions in the battle for survival included scoring twice in a crucial victory over Horsens and once in a draw with Odense. The trick for Galca was getting him to use his skills at the right time.
Galca is head coach at Rapid Bucharest after an eclectic coaching journey and follows Ekitiké’s progress closely. He spent most of his playing days in Spain and won 68 caps for Romania. During a spell managing Espanyol he had a young Marco Asensio on loan from Real Madrid.
“Marco was similar, playing at a very high level, but Ekitiké has more quality one against one,” he says. “He works harder, he has better physical condition … He would always score more goals because he is the better finisher.”
Vejle offered Ekitiké a grounding and an understanding of a different football world. He was smart enough to seize it and has taken this attitude to Anfield.
