Hugo Ekitike’s view on Liverpool start should serve as huge warning to Alexander Isak

Hugo Ekitike has made a brilliant start to life at Liverpool following a big-money summer transfer – and he has turned up the pressure on fellow new arrival Alexander Isak

Alexander Isak will be under pressure to perform right from the off with Liverpool after fellow summer signing Hugo Ekitike set the bar high. Isak could make his Liverpool debut when they play Burnley on Sunday at Turf Moor, having completed a £125million transfer from Newcastle on deadline day.

The Swedish striker has arrived at Anfield lacking match fitness, having barely trained during his final few months at Newcastle. Sweden boss Jon Dahl Tomasson has warned Liverpool that Isak is not ready to jump straight into the starting line-up after a difficult international break.

Arne Slot has confirmed that the Premier League’s record signing will be eased into action at his new club. That means he won’t be able to follow in the footsteps of Ekitike, who has made an immediate mpact since joining for a potential £79m from Eintracht Frankfurt.

Ekitike has three goals and one assist in his four games for Liverpool and his strikes against Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Newcastle made him the first Reds player to net in each of his first three games since Daniel Sturridge 12 years ago.

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“I think I adapted well,” the Frenchman said in an interview with the club website.“Obviously I still have things to improve, but I think it was a good [start].

“I feel good with the guys, they helped me to adapt here so obviously they make my football easier. And when you play with good players like this, you can improve and you can have success like that. The most important [thing] is to continue to be consistent.

“It’s good to be compared to Sturridge, I know he has been a great, great player here at Liverpool, so it’s good and I want to do my best to do better than him. My mindset [is]: play with the best players in the world. It helps you to get better. All together, all the players, we are going to reach even a better level together.”

Isak scored 27 goals for Newcastle last season and was only behind Mo Salah in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot. But he will start his Liverpool career on the bench, with Slot stating his approach on Friday.

“We will treat Alex the same (as Sweden did), so don’t expect 90 mins every week, he missed pre-season and team sessions, so we have to build him up gradually,” he said. “But that will be a challenge, but we have signed him for six years, so this is what the fans have to keep in mind if I bring him in.

“In football, there’s always criticism, sometimes they cheer for us; after the League Cup, they were happy with him, in other moments, you get criticised. This is part of his life, my life, and now he is a player for us.”

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