Liverpool: Alexander Isak competition good for me says Hugo Ekitike

Liverpool forward Hugo Ekitike says the arrival of British record transfer Alexander Isak at Anfield will help him develop as a player.

Ekitike, 23, was signed for £69m in the summer and made a fine start for the Premier League champions, scoring five goals in his first 10 appearances.

But Liverpool chased Isak all transfer window, eventually signing him on deadline day for £125m.

Much has been made of how manager Arne Slot might use both players in his team, with the two forwards yet to play together.

“I think it’s good with players in such a big club,” Ekitike 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.”

Both strikers scored against Southampton in the Carabao Cup last week, with Ekitike replacing Isak at half-time.

The France forward scored a late winner but was sent off for taking his shirt off having earlier been booked.

“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.”