Hugo Ekitike says Alexander Isak arrival at Liverpool will help him 'improve' - 'For me it's good that he's here'

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Liverpool have a plethora of attacking options at their disposal after spending big money on both Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike in the summer. The latter has suggested the competition for places will help him develop as a player, even if he finds himself behind Isak in the pecking order at Anfield. Ekitike is set to return for Liverpool at Galatasaray after his red card against Southampton.

'It was not smart and I have apologised' - Liverpool's Ekitike on red card against Southampton

Video credit: SNTV

Hugo Ekitike insists Liverpool's £125 million signing of Alexander Isak on deadline day will help him "improve".

The 23-year-old forward arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt for a reported £69m earlier in the window and started well, scoring three goals in his first three matches across all competitions.

But the signing of Isak has led to discussions about Ekitike's role in the team, with the former starting recent wins against Atletico Madrid and Southampton.

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Ekitike, though, claimed the increased competition is a good thing.

"I think it's good with players in such a big club," the Frenchman said. "I can't see one big club playing with only one striker, so I think it's good that he's here.

"Even for me at my age, I think I still have a lot of things to improve and learn, so for me it's good that he's here.

"[As for if we can play together] that's for the coach to decide how he wants to play. That's not me.

"But obviously it's great players. I've been playing in two-striker composition, one striker, so I can do a lot of things. If we have to play together, I can do that."

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Video credit: SNTV

Ekitike was widely criticised last week after getting a second yellow card for taking his shirt off having scored the winning goal against Southampton in the League Cup.

He was suspended as a result for Liverpool's defeat at Crystal Palace on Saturday, and admitted he made a mistake.

"I think that wasn't smart," Ekitike said. "Obviously I punished myself alone, I'd say.

"I felt a bit disappointed to watch the boys from home last Saturday but, as I said [on Instagram], I apologise to everybody already, to my team-mates.

"That kind of thing won't happen again. I just move on now. I am just looking forward to playing and I just focus on football."

Liverpool boss Arne Slot made his opinion clear on Ekitike's error of judgement.

"Needless? Yes. And it was stupid. The first one was already needless and to a certain extent, stupid, as you have got to control your emotions," Slot said immediately after the Saints game.

"I told him that if you score in the Champions League final in the 87th minute after outplaying three players and hitting it in the top corner I can maybe understand. He is like, 'This is all about me, what did I do'.

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Video credit: SNTV

"But I am old-fashioned, I'm 47 and old. I never played at this level but did score a few goals and if I scored a goal like this, I'd have turned around and walked up to Federico Chiesa and said, 'This goal is all about you, this is not about me'.

"It's always best to control your emotions. If you can't, do it in a way that doesn't lead to a yellow card."

Having suffered their first Premier League loss of the season, against Crystal Palace, Liverpool face Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night.

Stream the Premier League, Men’s and Women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more on TNT Sports and discovery+.

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