Ibrahima Konate opens up on giving Liverpool new signing Hugo Ekitike a ‘hard time’ after his big-money summer move
Hugo Ekitike, a French striker who joined Liverpool in a £79 million summer transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt, received a cheeky inspirational note from Ibrahima Konate.
The defender acknowledged that he pushed the 23-year-old to demonstrate his value at the club and international levels by giving him a “hard time” during training sessions.
Since making a huge transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt to Liverpool in the summer, Ekitike has had an immediate effect. However, the Frenchman has also been the target of some amusing taunts from fellow countryman Konate.
The defender disclosed that he once used humour to test the young striker’s mindset and work ethic by giving Ekitike a “hard time” during a post-training session at the AXA Training Centre.
Ekitike, who signed a contract worth up to £79 million ($105 million) to join Arne Slot’s revamped Liverpool team, has been a major offensive threat this season.
Despite their difficulties, the Reds have managed to stay close to the top of the table thanks to his six goals and one assist in 16 games in all competitions.
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Despite his encouraging performance, Konate acknowledged that, in order to keep the forward motivated, he wanted to make sure he understood the demands of playing for both Liverpool and France.
According to reports, the amusing conversation took place prior to the international break, when the two were scheduled to join the France team.
Even though Ekitike looked worn out from a long training session, Konate’s light-hearted challenge worked and demonstrated the strong relationship the two French players have already developed in the Liverpool locker room.
Konate revealed the amusing but inspirational incident in an interview with Canal+: “I once gave him a bit of a hard time, but it was funny. After one of the training sessions, we had to go to the gym, and it’s true that the intensity of our training is really difficult and he was exhausted.
“Come on, let’s go to the gym now,” I said him when I went to see him. “I’m knocked out, I’m dead,” he told me. “In reality, we don’t have to go to the gym, but it’s better to go because we’re kind of ‘called up,'” Konate added.
I stared at him and didn’t say anything to him for two seconds. “Do you want to join the French national team or not?” I asked him. He was in the gym a minute later.
“The anecdote is a bit funny, but afterwards he quickly understood how it worked,” the defender continued, grinning. He is a really hard worker who will undoubtedly advance in his career.
One of the greatest stories of the summer was Ekitike’s July 2025 transfer to Liverpool, where he signed a six-year contract after turning down Manchester United’s late interest.
The 23-year-old has had an outstanding start to life in England. After scoring on his Premier League debut against Bournemouth, he swiftly established himself as Slot’s choice No. 9, surpassing Alexander Isak, a £125 million acquisition whose pre-season physical issues hindered his integration.
Ekitike is a perfect fit in Slot’s pressing system because of his physical presence, agility, and clever link-up play.
Didier Deschamps, the head coach of France, was impressed by his efforts and rewarded the forward with his first senior international call-up in August.
Ekitike has since made four appearances for Les Bleus and is working to earn a permanent spot in the team in time for the World Cup the following year.
Is it possible that Ekitike and Konate pair may soon fall apart?
As Slot continues to mould his concept at Anfield, Konate and Ekitike are both anticipated to play significant parts for Liverpool in the coming months.
As the season goes on, Ekitike and Isak’s competition for the starting striker position is probably going to get more intense. Slot is eager to discover a tactical formula that will enable both prominent forwards to succeed together.
But Konate’s predicament is more intricate. The 25-year-old defender’s contract is scheduled to expire in the summer of 2026, and talks to sign a new contract have apparently halted.
Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich are keeping an eye on the situation, so Liverpool must decide whether to pay him what he wants or run the risk of losing him for free the following season.
