Liverpool have reportedly opened talks with Eintracht Frankfurt over the signing of Hugo Ekitike – one day after the club rejected the Reds’ Premier League rivals Newcastle’s offer of €80million (£70m) for the striker.
Mail Sport reported on Tuesday that Arne Slot’s side are prepared to break the British record transfer bid for the second time this summer to secure Magpies striker Alexander Isak.
But should Isak prove difficult to prise away from Tyneside, as per the Athletic the club would be interested in securing Newcastle’s premier attacking target instead.
Liverpool previously ripped up the record books to the tune of £116m in their signing of Florian Wirtz, but could spend up to £125m in pursuit of the Sweden international.
Newcastle remain adamant that Isak is not for sale, but they are keen to also enhance their attacking line with a swoop for Ekitike.
But Eintracht Frankfurt are prepared to drive a similarly hard bargain for the jewel in their attacking crown, secure in the knowledge that the 23-year-old is contracted until 2029 after signing his first permanent contract for the club last summer.
Eddie Howe’s side have repeatedly attempted to tempt Ekitike to St James’ Park, trying first in the summer of 2022, ahead of a second effort during this year’s January transfer window.
Newcastle have struggled for incomings during the current window, having agreed to sell Sean Longstaff to Leeds but failed to bring in new recruits.
Liverpool by contrast are bolstering their ranks in the wake of their 20th title, but are not likely to consider their work done until they bring in another striker, with secondary targets such as Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, and Brentford star Yoane Wissa also discussed on Merseyside.
Wantaway Manchester United star Marcus Rashford’s name has also been floated in the abstract, although the question mark hanging over his consistent form is thought to make a move unlikely.
In terms of outgoings, Liverpool on Tuesday rebuffed an initial offer for Luis Diaz from Bayern Munich.
The Bundesliga side’s £58.5m bid was however some way off the club’s £86m valuation for the Colombian star.
Darwin Nunez is also been surveilled by Napoli – but in a similar turn of events, the Serie A outfit’s opening offer of £55m plus add-ons was not deemed close enough to Liverpool’s price for the Uruguay international.
Ekitike has a number of admirers in the Premier League beyond Newcastle and Liverpool, with Man United enquiring over his availability earlier in the window.
Chelsea are also thought to have considered his profile before their recruitment of Liam Delap from Ipswich, and former Brighton star Joao Pedro.
