But considering some reports have suggested Newcastle will hold out for a whopping £200million, it’s likely Liverpool will have to explore other options. One being Ekitike, who enjoyed a stellar season for Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga and is being linked with a move to one of Europe’s elite clubs.
It’s been claimed that Frankfurt have slapped a hefty £84m valuation on Ekitike’s shoulders, which has initially put teams off from making a move. However, according to transfer insider Ben Jacobs, the German outfit could change their asking price the longer the summer goes on, with claims the Frenchman's price tag could drop from £84m to £70m, which would trigger the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool to swoop.
There’s no guarantee of that happening though, given Eintracht currently find themselves in a strong negotiating position. They bagged £59m from the sale of Omar Marmoush to Manchester City in January and finished inside the Bundesliga’s Champions League spots, opening themselves up to the riches of Europe’s most prestigious club competition next season. As such, sporting director Markus Krosche recently told the Wiesbadener Kurier: "We don't have to sell Hugo, iif the price isn't right, then he'll stay."
Liverpool will have until September 1 to wrap up any summer transfer dealings, including outgoings. The aforementioned Nunez is said to be attracting interest from Serie A champions Napoli, but much like Liverpool with Ekitike, the Italian outfit are unwilling to match Liverpool’s initial valuation.