Latest Liverpool transfer news and gossip as Alexander Isak continues to be linked with a move to the Reds, who recently signed Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt
Alexander Isak of Newcastle United(Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Liverpool have already signed one striker this summer and it’s possible that another arrives before the transfer window closes. The Reds have until September 1 to complete their transfer business, having already made seven new signings so far.
Hugo Ekitike is one of the seven new faces added to the Liverpool squad, joining Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Armin Pecsi and Freddie Woodman. There is also the potential for the Reds to go into the market for another new signing.
Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak is continuing to be linked with a move to Liverpool. The Reds had a £110million bid turned down last week, and the ECHO understands that a second offer is not expected given the swift nature of the rejection by the Magpies.
Despite this stance, Isak is continuing to be linked with a move to Anfield, which if a deal was to happen would see him join Ekitike in the Liverpool squad. Ekitike already has experience of playing alongside another striker from his time at Eintrahct Frankfurt.
Ekitike formed an impressive partnership with Omar Marmoush at Frankfurt before the Egypt international joined Manchester City back in January. It remains to be seen what will happen with Isak’s future, but Liverpool have already been told why the duo could work in a striker partnership.
German football expert Seb Stafford-Bloor has explained why Ekitike’s partnership with Marmoush is evidence why he could work in tandem with Isak in the same team. Stafford-Bloor was speaking about the prospect of Ekitike linking up with Isak at Newcastle, although the only way the duo could play on the same team is if the Sweden international was to sign for Liverpool.
“They [Ekitike and Marmoush] were one of the most attractive partnerships in the Bundesliga for a while,” Stafford-Bloor said in an interview with talkSPORT last month.
“They had their own compound nickname, ‘HugoMar’. There was real cohesion, understanding and instinct between them, which is interesting because they were both quite similar and they both quite like to play in the same sort of areas.
“Marmoush is central with a kind of tendency to push left. Ekitike is very much the same and yet they had an understanding whereby they didn’t take over each other’s space.
“They’re able to dovetail. They’re able to react to what the other was doing with the ball. Some really, really wonderful moments.
“Everything that people say about his [Ekitike] technical ability is true,” Stafford-Bloor added. “He’s a wonderful, exuberant, optimistic footballer, but intelligent as well. Smart, cognizant of what his teammates are doing around him.
“The question isn’t just whether he could play with another forward, Alexander Isak, but what he could bring with other players. So runners from midfield and full-backs going outside of him.
“He really is quite complete. Not the finished article, still learning the game, but he’s a very, very broadly talented player.”