Newcastle are identified to be ‘eager’ on striker Hugo Ekitike, additionally of curiosity to Liverpool, and now a recent report states Eddie Howe’s facet are “hoping to lastly” land the Frenchman.
The No. 9 market is an expensive and reactive one this summer season, with Liverpool firmly within the combine as Darwin Nunez prepares to go away Anfield.
Alexander Isak is the dream goal, which is of no shock to anybody, however Newcastle have firmly maintained that their talisman is not going to be offered, even when they signal one other striker this summer season.
Earlier this week, switch journalist Fabrizio Romano named Newcastle as one of many golf equipment “eager” on Eintracht Frankfurt’s Ekitike, who Liverpool have additionally been linked to.
Now the Telegraph‘s Luke Edwards, their main Newcastle reporter, has said on X that Howe is “hoping to lastly land” Ekitike in a “big assertion of ambition.”
Newcastle have “made the participant’s representatives conscious of their need” to safe Ekitike’s signature and “will hope to agree a charge with the Bundesliga membership.”
Edwards’ report additionally seeks to take care of the Magpies’ stance that they’ve no real interest in promoting Isak and need Ekitike to behave as competitors and canopy for the Swede.
From a Liverpool perspective, although, Newcastle‘s pursuit of Frankfurt’s striker may very well be seen as a bid to exchange Isak, as if the Reds’ curiosity within the Frenchman is real, they might not permit a free run at a No. 9 that in addition they need.
There’s additionally a consideration for the way a lot the Magpies can realistically spend on a brand new backup striker after agreeing a £55 million deal for Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga amid a pursuit for goalkeeper James Trafford.
A sale of Isak could be within the area of £150 million, virtually sufficient to wipe out the switch charges of Elanga, Trafford and Ekitike.
There’s additionally the opposite thought course of that Newcastle are pushing the Ekitike narrative to get Liverpool to blink first so that they overlook their Isak curiosity and pursue an alternate goal.
Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards have proven they’re affected person sufficient to play the ready recreation and in the event that they had been to get any sense Isak desires to push for a transfer, they’ll act – for now, the sport of chess continues.
