Inside Newcastle's transfer plans with £50m star replacing Marc Guehi as main target and keeping Isak top priority | The Irish Sun
Cody Gakpo, Hugo Ekitike and Mohamed Salah were all on the scoresheet as Liverpool beat Bournemouth 4-2 on matchday one of the Premier League on Friday evening to kickstart their title defence on a winning note.
Ekitike’s performance was especially impressive as he bagged a goal and assisted Gakpo’s strike, while also helping out without the ball. In spite of his purchase, Arne Slot has confirmed to Sky Sports that he needs another attacker. The Dutchman said,
“I see Hugo mainly as a number nine that could also play from the left or play together with another number nine, it’s clear that with Darwin gone and Luis Diaz gone, and even last season, we had five or six options. I think, again, Diogo, I need to mention him as well. So yeah, we need to have one more attacker, at least.”
Ekitike is Liverpool’s only out-and-out offensive signing this summer considering Florian Wirtz plays in midfield. The club has been linked with Alexander Isak and with the player forcing to leave Newcastle United, a switch to Anfield may materialise soon.
Football Insider has reported that Liverpool are set to make a £120 million bid for Isak and with the Magpies looking to end their standoff with the Swedish international, it is fair to think that the Reds’ interest is progressing in the right direction.
Guehi signing would cap off a successful transfer window
In addition to Alexander Isak, Marc Guehi has also been heavily linked with a switch to Liverpool in recent times. The Crystal Palace star is in the last year of his contract at Selhurst Park and will be sold as the Eagles don’t want to lose him for free.
Guehi’s price tag currently is worth £35 million, an amount which Liverpool would view as a superb bargain for the English international. Along with Giovanni Leoni, who has already joined the Reds, the Palace man would bolster Liverpool’s backline.
After Friday’s display against Bournemouth, there will surely be concerns over how long Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk can hold the fort for after being overrun for much of last season, whereas Joe Gomez’s display off the bench was also unflattering.
The Liverpool coaching staff will be happy with the signings of Alexander Isak and Marc Guehi before the transfer window ends, and together with the players they’ve already acquired earlier, they will believe they can defend the Premier League title.