If one were to build the perfect attacking footballer Lionel Messi’s vision, Neymar’s skills and Kylian Mbappé’s darts in-behind would make for a pretty good starting point.
That illustrious trio formed the glittering example of what Hugo Ekitiké tried to aspire towards during his time at Paris Saint-Germain.
Liverpool’s summer recruit isn’t quite a three-way blend of Messi, Neymar and Mbappé just yet, but he has made a fine start to his career at Anfield. Aside from some over-exuberant celebrations, Ekitiké has scarcely put a foot wrong for his new employers, settling in far more swiftly than record signing Alexander Isak while racking up an unrivalled six goals across all competitions.
The Reims academy graduate arrived at Anfield for a sum which could rise to as much as €92.5 million (£81.4 million, $106.9 million) from Eintracht Frankfurt in July, yet Ekitiké enjoyed his first transformative summer transfer three years earlier.
After a prolific season at the tip of Reims’ attack, PSG snapped up the spindly forward on loan before making his arrival permanent at the cost of €28.5 million one year later. That same summer, Messi joined a squad which already boasted Neymar and Mbappé.
Only just out of his teenage years, Ekitiké was limited to 14 starts across 18 months at PSG, scoring four goals. The Frenchman had minimal experience of competitive action alongside the team’s celebrity frontline—Ekitiké played more minutes with Danilo Pereira than any of Messi, Neymar or Mbappé—but he valued his time on the training pitch with these giants of the sport.
“I definitely took stuff from their game,” Ekitiké told The Guardian this week. “I try to take things from the players I love. I like to watch and try to add to my game to make me more complete.”
When quizzed on the specifics of each player’s influence, Ekitiké outlined: “Maybe like [Messi’s] vision. Sometimes I try to see things earlier, before I receive the ball. [From] Neymar I took some tricks and skills, ball control. I took the runs of Kylian—he could do great runs without the ball. So many things, it is difficult to list.”
Ekitiké still plays alongside Mbappé for the France national team and is keen to point out their differences. “He [Mbappé] is quicker than me. I am fast, but he is one of the fastest in the world. I hope one day I get there but we are a different type of player. He has a lot of speed, I am more like a player who is able to do things for the team.”
The pair have remained close off the pitch as well. “He saw me in a bad position at PSG so he is happy for me that now things are working out,” Ekitiké said of Mbappé. “He has been like a big brother to me. I was just not playing—it was difficult at the end. He was always good to me, always gave me advice.”
Ekitike: Slot Is on My Back
Mbappé isn’t the only person offering a word of wisdom in Ekitiké’s ear. The 22-year-old is full of praise for his Liverpool manager Arne Slot, who has fostered a strong relationship with the striker which survived an unwise red card against Southampton earlier this season.
“Obviously keep my shirt on,” was Ekitiké’s witty response to the question of what advice Slot has offered him. “I would say he’s on my back, but not for a bad thing,” Ekitiké continued.
“He just wants to help me, so I don’t take that badly. He wants me to give more and more. Maybe sometimes you feel like it’s a little bit too much and you want to complain. It’s a good thing because I think if a coach doesn’t like you, he will not speak to you or not try to get the best of you.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as How Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe Forged Liverpool’s Latest Star.
