Manchester United travel to Liverpool this weekend where they are likely to come up against a player who was believed to be on their radar in the summer transfer window
Hugo Ekitike signed for Liverpool in the summer transfer window but the door was open for him to join Manchester United too
Hugo Ekitike signed for Liverpool in the summer transfer window but the door was open for him to join Manchester United too
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Manchester United will come up against Liverpool for the first time this season on Sunday and Arne Slot is likely to call upon Hugo Ekitike at some stage in the contest.
While the headlines from the summer transfer window were stolen by Alexander Isak, Ekitike has managed to hit the ground running on Merseyside. The Frenchman has five goals in 10 appearances for Liverpool so far this season and has mostly kept Isak out of the starting line-up when available.
Had it not been for his bizarre red card against Southampton in the Carabao Cup, Ekitike could have added further goals to his tally. Ahead of the contest this weekend, it is hard to imagine Ekitike representing United.
However, had Isak been granted his exit from Newcastle sooner, there is a real chance that Ekitike could have gone to Old Trafford. Last month, the 23-year-old was quizzed about the possibility of signing for United.
"Liverpool are Premier League champions, with great players and great history," Ekitike replied as he justified his decision to move to Anfield from Eintracht Frankfurt. "I think it was a good choice for me and that's why I chose Liverpool as it was the best option and I wanted to come."
United will be hopeful that their inability to sign Ekitike will not come back to haunt them on Sunday. The Reds did manage to bolster their centre-forward position eventually as Benjamin Sesko was welcomed into the team.
Benjamin Sesko
Benjamin Sesko scored his first goal at Old Trafford for Manchester United prior to the October international break
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Sesko has got off to a slower start than Ekitike but he joined a team with more work to do than Liverpool. That being said, the Slovenian has scored in back-to-back matches for United prior to the international break to boost his confidence.
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