Liverpool’s seek for a brand new centre-forward this summer season seems to have taken a recent twist, following a report from David Ornstein on Wednesday afternoon.
The Athletic’s soccer correspondent revealed yesterday that the Reds made an method to Newcastle for Alexander Isak, with Empire of the Kop subsequently reporting that the Premier League champions are ready to supply the Swedish marksman a six-year contract.
Nonetheless, there’s one other positional different who’s demonstrably in Richard Hughes’ sights, one which might even have a bearing on the Magpies.
Liverpool make contact over potential Ekitike switch
In response to Ornstein for The Athletic in the present day, Liverpool have contacted Eintracht Frankfurt over a potential transfer for Hugo Ekitike, who’s additionally being focused by the Tyneside membership.
Newcastle have had a suggestion of round £65m rejected by the Bundesliga facet, who’ve now obtained an method from Anfield for the French centre-forward.
The report provides that the Reds’ important focus within the switch window is so as to add a striker, with the membership open to affords for Darwin Nunez amid an obvious need from Luis Diaz to go away Merseyside.
Ornstein talked about that, whereas sensitivities round Liverpool ‘stay understandably excessive’ following Diogo Jota’s tragic dying 13 days in the past, ‘there may be an consciousness’ that additional additions are wanted this summer season.
(Picture by Alex Grimm/Getty Photos)
Isak is the dream, however Ekitike would even be an incredible coup
Isak is perhaps the Reds’ main centre-forward goal, however the sudden method for Ekitike reveals that not all of our eggs are being put in a single basket.
Between the method for his or her main marksman and the tried transfer for the Eintracht Frankfurt marksman, Newcastle have to be cursing the Premier League champions on this switch window.
Though the Swede would seem like Plan A, the concurrent pursuit of the 23-year-old means that Hughes is ready for the potential of not with the ability to entice the Magpies to promote their quantity 14.
The Athletic‘s Andy Jones has proclaimed Ekitike as becoming ‘precisely the profile Liverpool look to focus on – a participant with first-team expertise’ who additionally ‘possesses numerous traits that may be moulded into making him an elite striker’.
The journalist added that the Frenchman affords ‘a risk on the field’ and is famend for his ‘intelligent second’ and ‘ball-carrying attributes’. These value determinations are underlined by a return of 22 objectives final season, together with a match common of three.04 progressive carries, putting him within the high 4% of strikers amongst Europe’s 5 important leagues for that exact metric (FBref).
If the Reds are priced out of a transfer for the £120m-valued Isak, the Eintracht Frankfurt centre-forward could be a greater than ample different to pursue, and one who’d doubtless be extra inexpensive than his Swedish counterpart.
