‘He is like Isak’ – Newcastle missed out on eight-goal striker thriving at Premier League rivals
With Nick Woltemade nonetheless struggling to revive his early-season kind, Newcastle might have been left to rue over a missed goal.
talkSPORT’s Inside Toon present specifically have mirrored on how the staff might have fared in the event that they managed to signal Hugo Ekitike.
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Throughout the summer time, Newcastle set their sights on the French striker and travelled to Germany for talks with Eintracht Frankfurt.
They made a suggestion that included a £70million assured, nevertheless it was Liverpool who accomplished the signing with a complete £79m deal.
Newcastle have been later dealt one other large blow because the Reds additionally signed their wantaway ahead Alexander Isak for a British file £125m.
A striker answer was discovered although, with the Magpies opting to signal Woltemade from VfB Stuttgart in a club-record deal value £69m.
The German has netted 9 targets in 33 outings, with seven of these coming within the Premier League.
Yoane Wissa additionally joined from Brentford for £55m and has scored 3 times, however Ekitike has eclipsed their mixed tally at Liverpool.
Forward of the 2 sides’ league conflict on Saturday, reside on talkSPORT, the Inside Toon panel assessed the membership’s missed alternative.
“Ekitike has had a reasonably good first season, pity we did not get him however there you go,” Shaun Custis stated.
“After I take a look at him, I do assume, ‘That was the, kind of, splendid between Woltemade and Wissa.’
“He is within the center, is not he? Can do a little bit of all of it.”
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Ekitike has scored 13 targets for Liverpool and his eight league targets put him joint-fifth within the Golden Boot race.
The 23-year-old is 9 targets away from equalling his complete in the course of the 2024/25 season at Frankfurt.
He displayed his high quality in entrance of the Newcastle trustworthy in August at St. James’ Park by scoring in a dramatic 3-2 win for Liverpool.
It is a second that is still contemporary within the recollections of Toon followers, with Jack Cunningham joking that Ekitike hates the membership.
“You would see why Newcastle recognized him, as a result of he’s like Isak in principally a number of methods,” Cunningham stated.
“He is turned us down twice! He turned us down initially earlier than we signed Isak, when he was at Reims and he joined PSG.
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“Then he turned us down once more, after which he scored towards us St. James’ Park.”
Essential conflict on Merseyside
The Saturday 8pm kick-off at Anfield might ship a gritty, hard-fought conflict between two sides eyeing qualification for Europe.
Liverpool are winless of their previous 5 league matches, with their final fixture ending in a 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth.
Solely two factors separate them and fourth-place Manchester United, who host Fulham on Sunday afternoon.
Their guests Newcastle will arrive on a winless streak of 29 matches in league journeys to Anfield.
Ought to they lastly declare victory on the thirtieth time of asking, they’ll overtake Liverpool.
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