French Media Hails Liverpool's Ekitike as Missing Piece in Deschamps' Attack

Hugo Ekitike has already justified his £70m summer move to Liverpool, and the French media made that abundantly clear on Thursday evening following his match-winning display in Les Bleus' 2-1 triumph over Brazil.

The 24-year-old, who arrived at Anfield from Frankfurt, has been the rare success story in Arne Slot's transfer window—the sort of signing that actually hits the ground running rather than spending eighteen months finding his feet. His form earned him a starting berth under Didier Deschamps for France's penultimate World Cup warm-up, and he repaid the faith in style, finishing off the second goal after Kylian Mbappé had opened the scoring. Gleison Bremer's reply kept things tense, but France held firm.

It was only Ekitike's third competitive start for his country, yet the French press couldn't contain their enthusiasm. The consensus was near-universal: here was a player whose attributes slot neatly into Deschamps' attacking framework.

RMC Sport awarded him 8/10, noting: "He reproduced what he has done best since the beginning of the season in Liverpool and it ended in a goal. Solid back to the game, it also made differences in depth."

Eurosport's 7/10 assessment went deeper into his tactical value: "His profile really brings added value. Less of a direct threat than his three comrades in the attack, he is crucial in retaining possession. He brings a fixation point, physical density and as he is not clumsy with his feet. He dovetails well with the others and perfectly completes the puzzle. His goal says everything about his confidence and his form of the moment: beginning the action 60 meters from the goal, he finished with composure. Another nice performance in Blue for the former Parisian."

Maxifoot handed him 7/10, highlighting his versatility: "The Liverpool forward displayed a wide range of skills in an unusual wide role. The Reims academy graduate made numerous intelligent runs, offered passing options, and showcased his technical finesse. A complete performance, capped off with a cool finish."

FootMercato (6.5/10) was slightly more measured, acknowledging some early discomfort: "The Liverpool player was deployed on the left wing of the French attack tonight. He didn't seem entirely comfortable in this role, appearing unsure of his positioning relative to his attacking teammates. He frequently cut inside and swapped positions with Mbappé, and was quite useful in the game, particularly as a target man. In the second half, he was decisive with a lovely goal, somewhat reminiscent of Kylian Mbappé's, perfectly finishing the move in front of the Brazilian goalkeeper with a chipped shot (0-2, 65th minute). He was also the one who initiated the move. He was then replaced by Désiré Doué."

The standout moment came when Ekitike latched onto a move he'd started from deep, covering sixty yards before finishing with clinical precision—the kind of composure that suggests a player genuinely thriving in his surroundings.