Liverpool pushing to sign “world-class” £120k-p/w ST

Liverpool gained the Premier League final season, ending ten factors forward of second-place Arsenal. Few gave Arne Slot an opportunity to determine himself as a title-race outlier, however he took the division by storm.

And he is been rewarded in the summertime switch market, with FSG green-lighting formidable strikes for Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz, with the latter signing from Bayer Leverkusen for a British-record £116m.

Navigating the switch market has develop into a much more delicate matter for Liverpool after the tragic passing of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva.

However Liverpool’s ahead curiosity dates again to the beginning of 2025, with Darwin Nunez transfer-listed whereas the Reds pursued the Premier League title.

Nunez remains to be set to depart Liverpool, with the Saudi Professional League’s Al-Hilal among the many frontrunners, and FSG have labored to signal a substitute.

Whereas nothing’s set in stone, it seems like that substitute goes to be Hugo Ekitike.

The newest on Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool

Liverpool seem to have gained the race for Ekitike, with the 23-year-old submitting a switch request as he seems to inch a transfer to Merseyside nearer.

Newcastle United had been additionally within the combine, however have dropped out following the Reds’ concrete developments.

Ekitike’s is an unrefined talent set, however with just a few tweaks right here and there, he might show a surprising signing for Slot’s trigger. In spite of everything, expertise scout Jacek Kulig remarked that he “might positively attain world-class striker ranges”.

With 22 objectives and 12 assists to his title throughout the 2024/25 marketing campaign, such a declare actually appears to have some substance.

On Friday morning, Sport BILD reported that Ekitike had linked again up with Frankfurt for coaching and, as issues stand, is slated to affix his teammates on their pre-season tour in the US.

The Reds are closing in on their quarry, however they’ve one other goal of their sights, too. You may even say he is an improve on the French ahead.

Liverpool lining up one other striker

In line with switch insider Graeme Bailey, Liverpool are nonetheless pushing to land Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, despite their push for Ekitike’s signature and certainly the rebuffed formal method for the Sweden striker earlier within the week.

Liverpool had been prepared to place a £120m supply on the desk, however the focus shift to Ekitike in current days speaks of a roadblock between Anfield and St. James’ Park.

Elsewhere, Foot Mercato have revealed that Isak and Newcastle have given Al-Hilal the preliminary inexperienced mild to start discussions over a deal that might ship shockwaves via the footballing world.

Whereas that is peculiar information, it maybe means that the Isak saga will not be fairly completed for Liverpool this summer season.

Why Liverpool ought to signal Alexander Isak

Time was when Liverpool’s homeowners had been broadly considered being frugal, if efficient with their assets. However who can name FSG misers now? Having forked out a shedload on new signings this summer season, there’s nonetheless extra but to return.

BBC reporter Sami Mokbel believes that Liverpool’s curiosity in Isak will stay intact whatever the consequence of the Ekitike saga. One of many French expertise’s underlying qualities to have piqued Slot’s curiosity is his versatility, with a pointy tactical thoughts and a nimble athleticism making him, as Kulig alluded to, world-class materials.

However Isak’s already there, with pundit Alan Shearer hailing his “world-class” degree. Certainly, there is a case that the Swedish gem’s the best quantity 9 within the sport proper now, having scored 27 objectives and equipped six assists throughout all competitions for the Magpies in 2024/25. Definitely, he is essentially the most full, with pundit Ally McCoist saying: “By way of his all-round sport, he is unstoppable.”

Undoubtedly, Isak would pack a heavier punch than Ekitike, positively throughout the following marketing campaign or two. Positive, the Frankfurt man has the potential to develop into the most effective, however his Swedish counterpart is already there.

Newcastle signed him from Actual Sociedad for what nonetheless stands as a club-record £63m deal, and accidents have been his solely foible.

Instrumental in securing United as a top-end competitor, scoring as they beat Liverpool at Wembley to carry the Carabao Cup and finish a 70-year trophy drought, he would revolutionise a Liverpool frontline already filled with high-level high quality.

And never only a goalscorer, Isak’s completeness could be noticed via his FBref knowledge. The stats-led website reveals the 25-year-old ranked among the many high 16% of strikers throughout Europe’s high 5 leagues final season for shot-creating actions, the highest 13% for progressive passes, the highest 7% for progressive carries, and the highest 8% for profitable take-ons per 90.

The factor is, Liverpool can’t afford to be so reliant on Mohamed Salah for objectives, particularly now that the appropriate winger has turned 33. In Isak, Slot would signal a striker with a far superior ball-striking capability than Ekitike; actually, the Swede is extra environment friendly and economical in his efforts, with a conversion fee to be feared and a powerful fee of creativity apart from.

The £120k-per-week ahead is only one 12 months away from his penultimate 12 months on Tyneside. Then the alarm bells might be screeching down the St. James’ Park hallways. Maybe Newcastle will wish to money in for a fairly penny whereas they nonetheless can.

Newcastle, for positive, know that Liverpool are prepared to interrupt the British switch document (once more) earlier than summer season’s out. And from a Reds perspective, sporting director Richard Hughes might be doing all he can to attain this, for Isak is the cream of the crop and will surely arrive as a extra completed and full participant than Ekitike.