Djibril Cisse has warned Liverpool signing Hugo Ekitike to expect a shock when he discovers the intensity of the Premier League.
Ekitike completed his move to Liverpool this week for an initial fee of £69m. The Frenchman arrives with a flourishing reputation, having scored 22 goals in all competitions for Eintracht Frankfurt last season.
OFFICIAL: Liverpool confirm the signing of Hugo Ekitiké 🏹 pic.twitter.com/E0qdHQoVZe
— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 23, 2025
Cisse, who scored 26 goals in 82 games for Liverpool during his time at Anfield, believes Ekitike would have been ‘crazy’ to turn down a move to the Reds.
However, he acknowledged Liverpool’s mixed history with French footballers and has warned the 23-year-old to be prepared for the intensity of English football.
“He would’ve been crazy not to go,” Cisse said on Ekitike.
“In his profile he is a bit of a ‘target man’, like Peter Crouch — he’s the only one in the squad.
“In Germany, he might have had more time to express himself. In England, the intensity will shock him. At Arsenal or Chelsea, the French really left a mark. At Liverpool, maybe some came too young or weren’t ready. But one day, one of us will break through and set the tone.”
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