Hugo Ekitike of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St James' Park on August 25, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)placeholder image
Hugo Ekitike of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St James' Park on August 25, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images) | Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Hugo Ekitike now faces competition from Alexander Isak when he could have been the main striker at Newcastle United.
Ekitike had the opportunity to join Newcastle in the summer but he preferred a move to the Premier League champions.
The Reds then swooped in to agree a deal worth £79m with Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt, and the Frenchman has quickly hit the ground running with three goals in four appearances.
Hugo Ekitike reacts to Alexander Isak’s move to Liverpool
But his starting position is now under threat following Isak’s arrival, leading to some suggestions that it could unsettle Ekitike. Had he joined Newcastle, he would have been Isak’s replacement and therefore guaranteed to be the main striker.
However, the 23-year-old appears to be unfazed by the competition, telling Liverpool’s club website: “It’s fun. When you play for the best teams, you expect to be competing with the best players. Isak is a player I’ve watched too, so seeing him arrive is a pleasure.
“It’s going to be tough competition, but I’m going to focus on performing well so that it’s a problem for the manager.”
Ekitike added: “Obviously my life has changed. It’s a big move and I’m watched a thousand times more but I’m taking it positively, it’s really good. It’s the position I wanted to be in.
“When you have this kind of standard, you have to show that you belong here and you have to continue to perform. But it’s a position that I like and that I want to keep.”
Newcastle United ‘agreed everything’ to sign Hugo Ekitike
Newcastle have failed to sign Ekitike on three separate occasions after he twice turned down a move in 2022 before joining Paris Saint-Germain.
Ekitike spent one full season in Paris before falling out of favour under head coach Luis Enrique. He was linked with a move to the likes of West Ham United and Crystal Palace, but it was the Bundesliga where Ekitike would head to get his career back on track.
Read More
He initially joined Frankfurt on loan in January 2024 but the move turned permanent in the summer for around £14m. And it took just 12 months for the German side to make a sizeable profit after he moved to Liverpool for an initial £69m plus £10m in add-ons. In his only full season in Germany, Ekitike scored 22 goals.
At the third time of trying, Newcastle finally looked set to secure Ekitike’s signature. That was until Liverpool got wind of negotiations.
Barat told TuttoSport: “Hugo Ekitike. I was working on behalf of Eintracht Frankfurt to bring him to Newcastle. I stayed in Germany for 10 days. We agreed everything with the German club and the player, then Liverpool called him and he chose Anfield.”
Eddie Howe confirmed Hugo Ekitike interest
Prior to the 3-2 defeat to Liverpool at St James’ Park last month, a game in which Ekitike scored in, Howe confirmed his interest in Ekitike.
He said: “I think there's no doubting that I really like Hugo and have done for a number of years. He's someone that we've tracked for a long time. He's got really good qualities and I think he showed that in his first Premier League game. A very good debut against Bournemouth.
“He's got really good movement. He's intelligent. He's good in the air. He scores goals. Very good finisher. Scores off both feet. So, I think he's got a load of qualities that will serve him really well in the Premier League.”
Continue Reading