Image Credits: Imago Images
The summer of 2025 will long be remembered as one of Liverpool’s most audacious transfer windows: a £450 million spending spree that even the staunchest Reds fans couldn’t even dream of.
A signing that is increasingly looking like the pick of the bunch is Hugo Ekitike, who was also subject to interest from Newcastle United in the summer window. The Magpies had an ambitious plan to combine both Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike having just won the Carabao Cup against the Reds.
In mid-July last year, Newcastle made their move and submitted a formal bid of £70 million to Frankfurt—a figure that would have eclipsed the £63 million club-record fee they paid Real Sociedad for Isak in 2022.
Newcastle held talks with Ekitike’s representatives at their pre-season training camp in Austria, attempting to persuade the player that St James’ Park was the right destination. Personal terms were discussed. The vision of playing alongside Isak was outlined. But as we all know, Richard Hughes and Liverpool flipped the script with the strike duo ending up at Anfield instead.
Now Hugo Ekitike, speaking to reporters including the Liverpool Echo after the win over Qarabag, has revealed that he “close” to a move to Newcastle before eventually choosing Liverpool:
“Obviously we were close [to a Newcastle move] but I made my choice, I knew where I wanted to come so that’s all I can give to you. “[The fans’ support] means a lot. I play for fans, they give me so much energy.
“Sometimes in games when I haven’t scored you hear your name from the crowd and it’s a great feeling. It was what I was dreaming of as a kid and it made me live that so I’m grateful and I want to give more to them to make them happy.
“Obviously, when you see the last game in Bournemouth, but what I can say is everyone gave 100% of themselves. Like every team we have to go through something but we stick together and hopefully it will go better. We have the quality, I really believe things will go well.”
When quizzed on whether he was worried he would get trouble from fans against the Magpies on Saturday he said:
“I don’t care. I play for Liverpool, I have my fans here, we played there (Newcastle) already and won so hopefully we will have a great week of working. I don’t care about this, I just want to play and help the team. It is simple.”
READ MORE: Manager casts doubt over Liverpool transfer
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