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Florian Wirtz has expressed his delight at having former Bundesliga rival Hugo Ekitike as a teammate, after keeping an eye on the forward's performances at Frankfurt.
Ekitike, who cost an initial £69 million ($91.76 million) is currently Liverpool's second priciest signing this summer behind Wirtz. Both made their Anfield debut against Athletic Bilbao on Monday night.
While ex-Bayer Leverkusen sensation Wirtz charmed the crowd with his deft skills, Ekitike had fans on their feet with his robust runs and power, notably setting up Mo Salah for a goal in the first half.
Last season saw Ekitike net 22 times in 48 matches for Frankfurt, and he's expected to shine at Anfield even with the potential addition of striker Alexander Isak.
"He's a really good player," Wirtz said. "I enjoyed watching him at Frankfurt and I was really happy that he decided to come to us.", reports the Mirror.
"In the training sessions things already went well, and also in the game we had some combinations that were good. So yeah, I'm really happy that I can play with him."
Beyond playing alongside Ekitike, Wirtz envisions himself as a creator for his teammates as Liverpool aim for consecutive Premier League crowns.
"Of course, the big challenge is to take the title again, and that is the most difficult thing," he acknowledged. "But I just try to create chances, and also work against the ball because I can also run a lot.
"So I'll try to bring this in the team, and then with the ball, I hope I can make the team better by bringing my team-mates into better situations."
Liverpool – who were without Virgil van Dijk, Alisson, Joe Gomez, and Conor Bradley for the Bilbao fixtures – are set to clash with Crystal Palace in the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday before they kick off their Premier League title defence against Bournemouth at Anfield a week on Friday.
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