Liverpool agree €91m deal for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike
The talented 23-year-old scored 22 goals in all competitions for the Bundesliga club after last summer making his loan move from Paris St Germain permanent.
Newcastle and Manchester United have been among the interested parties but Premier League champions Liverpool look set to sign Ekitike.
It's understood the Reds have agreed to pay a guaranteed €79.5m (£69m) to sign the France U21 international, with a further €11.5m (£10m) possible in add-ons.
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Sunday World
8 minutes ago
- Sunday World
Kevin Palmer: Marcus Rashford operates to different rules – but he may be entering the last chance saloon
Manchester United outcast on his final chance Like a spoilt brat who continues to bend the rules with a relentlessness that ensures their parents will eventually give in to their delinquent, Rashford relaunches his career in Catalonia after signing for one of the world's great clubs. Handed the No 14 jersey once worn by the great Thierry Henry at Barcelona, this was a move that re-established Rashford as a footballer worthy of A-list status. But he has been anything but that since mid-2023. In fact, his form over the last two seasons would not justify a move to play for Barcelona's junior team that compete in the lower leagues of Spanish football, yet Rashford has always operated under different rules and this latest twist in his story confirmed as much. From the moment he burst onto the scene with two goals on his Premier League debut for Manchester United against Arsenal in February 2016, it was clear this striker had the potential to become a global star. He emerged from a challenging childhood to realise his dreams with his local team. Yet it didn't take long for Rashford's sporting story to be hijacked by a very different agenda that would give him dangerous power over his United managers and anyone who dared to question him. Rashford became the Bob Geldof and Bono of football when he was promoted as the frontman for a campaign to give underprivileged kids free school meals in the UK. The British government backtracked on their policy under pressure from Rashford and his team of advisers. That success ensured he became a sporting superhero for kids across Britain as much for his activism as his ability to score goals for United. An extended series of Rashford books offering pearls of wisdom to youngsters are still on the stands today, with his rags-to-riches story ensuring he generated so much currency in the credibility bank that no one in football dared to question him. Yet it has been clear for some time now that Rashford is not quite as saintly as his team of advisers would like you to believe. Jose Mourinho was the first United boss who publicly questioned the professionalism of a player as far back as 2018 and his successor, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, was also critical of the striker's timekeeping. When both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim voiced similar concerns over Rashford's lack of professionalism, the glossy veneer his PR team had applied as they built up his image as a generational game-changer was badly tarnished. Criticism in the media was rejected with predictable accusations that were posted on his social media accounts, but we are all entitled to pass judgement on his performances for United since that £350,000-a-week contract started clicking into his bank account. A deal of that magnitude is handed out to leaders who are asked to set an example. Yet Rashford has set a tone at United that too many have followed. Rashford hopes his move to La Liga will put a permanent smile back on his face. Josep Lago/Getty United wanted Rashford to emerge as their talisman when they gave their No 10 one of the biggest contracts in the club's history, but they got a footballer who appeared to lack the motivation and drive to press for more in a career that had already given him so much. This was a striker who had football world at his feet after a magical 2022/23 season, when he fired 30 goals for United in all competitions – and if he had signed for Barcelona that summer rather than signing his new deal at Old Trafford, few eyebrows would have been raised. Yet despite his encouraging displays during a loan spell at Aston Villa in the second half of last season, the sight of Rashford wearing the famous claret and blue Barca jersey will be hard to comprehend. 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So when we saw him appearing to lack inspiration and desire to play elite level football week after week, it was hard not to reach the conclusion that his time at the top was coming to an end. Players who have been on a journey like this don't normally end up at Barcelona, but Rashford has been given a free pass once again and now comes his biggest test. Taking himself out of Manchester and moving to Spain may offer him the reset he needs, but learning a new language, understanding how to adapt to a very different brand of football will arguably be a tougher task than anything he has faced so far. His one-year loan deal at Barcelona will not be extended if Rashford turns up late for training and gives the impression he will not give his all to a team that means so much to the Catalan people. The Barca supporters won't care about his success 'saving' school meals for poor kids in England. 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Sunday World
27 minutes ago
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Have they made too many changes in this transfer window? It is the question concerning me right now and we will see whether those fears are justified when the season gets underway a couple of weeks from now. We all knew an evolution was coming at Liverpool after last season's title triumph, with high-profile players leaving and replacements needed. What we didn't expect was for Liverpool's owners to sanction so many mega-money deals, with Florian Wirtz becoming the club's first £100m player and Newcastle striker Alexander Isak possibly following him to Anfield imminently for an even bigger fee before this summer's transfer window closes. Giorgi Mamardashvili, Jeremie Frimpong, Hugo Ekitike and Milos Kerkez have also arrived, with Luis Diaz's departure to Bayern Munich the latest big-name exit from Arne Slot's squad in a summer that has also seen Trent Alexander-Arnold and Caoimhín Kelleher leave. 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Irish Examiner
41 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Alexander Isak returns to Newcastle amid Liverpool transfer interest
Alexander Isak is facing showdown talks with Newcastle boss Eddie Howe after returning to Tyneside. The 25-year-old Sweden international headed back to Tyneside over the weekend after spending time working on his fitness at former club Real Sociedad as Premier League champions Liverpool formalised their interest in him with a £110million bid, which was swiftly rejected by the Magpies. He reported to the club's training headquarters on Monday morning as the rest of the squad returned from their pre-season trip to Singapore and South Korea. Eddie Howe will hold showdown talks with striker Alexander Isak (Bradley Collyer/PA) Isak missed the tour having cited a thigh injury amid fevered speculation over his future. Newcastle have repeatedly insisted they have no intention of selling their star striker – who they value at around £150m – this summer. But his indication that he wanted to explore the possibility of a move away from St James' Park, where he still has three years remaining on his contract, has brought matters to a head. Head coach Howe, who desperately wants to keep a player who has been a key figure in the club's recent return to prominence, has been diplomatic about the situation in public but he is unlikely to take kindly to a disruption of the team ethic he has tried to build during him time at the helm. Indeed, speaking to reporters before leaving Seoul after Sunday's 1-1 friendly draw with Tottenham, he said: 'You have to earn the right to train with us. Liverpool have offered Newcastle £110million for striker Alexander Isak (Owen Humphreys/PA) 'We are Newcastle United. The player has a responsibility here to be part of a team and part of a squad – you have to act in the right way. So that is also at play here. 'We will make sure that any player does that to earn the right to train with the group. No player can expect to act poorly and train with the group as normal.' It has proved a difficult summer for Newcastle, who have added Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga and Southampton keeper Aaron Ramsdale – on loan – to their squad while seeing midfielder Sean Longstaff and striker Callum Wilson leave. However, they have also seen targets Dean Huijsen, Bryan Mbeumo, Hugo Ekitike, Joao Pedro, James Trafford and Liam Delap move elsewhere. Anthony Elanga has joined Newcastle from Nottingham Forest this summer (Jane Barlow/PA) Another frontman was a priority even before Liverpool's interest in Isak with inexperienced 22-year-old Will Osula currently the only back-up to the Swede. The Magpies have tabled a bid for RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko – also a target for Manchester United – and remain in discussions with the Bundesliga club while pursuing an interest in Brentford's Yoane Wissa. The success or otherwise of that mission could have a significant say in what happens with Isak, although the spending power of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, the majority shareholder at St James', and the player's contractual situation would allow them to dig in their heels if they chose to do so. That said, the profitability and sustainability issues which have hamstrung Newcastle in recent seasons would be eased significantly by a major cash injection and a suitable offer could leave the club with a difficult decision to make.
