Latest news with #Ekitike
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Virgil van Dijk drops Liverpool transfer hint after Alexander Isak bombshell - 'Let's see'
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has spoken about the club's approach in the summer transfer window after the arrival of Hugo Ekitike and amid links to Alexander Isak Virgil van Dijk has hinted that Liverpool are not done yet in the summer transfer window. The Reds have splashed £265million on seven signings so far following the arrival of Hugo Ekitike, but still have the money in the bank to add further players to Arne Slot 's squad. Ekitike is the latest player to join the defending Premier League champions, who will pay Eintracht Frankfurt £69m, plus a further £10m in potential add-ons. He has followed Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Armin Pesci and Freddie Woodman to the club this summer, while Giorgi Mamardashvili has also arrived after spending last season on loan with Valencia. Liverpool have managed to recruit heavily this summer due to their quiet transfer window before last season. And with Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz and Harvey Elliott all potentially leaving, they could still afford a blockbuster deal for Newcastle deal Alexander Isak. The Reds made an enquiry about Isak last week before pushing ahead to sign Ekitike and the Swedish striker has now informed Newcastle that he wants to explore his options. He has been left out of the Magpies' pre-season tour amid reports he could be sold, if their £125m valuation is met. And, speaking on Liverpool's pre-season tour in Hong Kong after Ekitike's arrival, Van Dijk suggested the club aren't yet in the transfer window. Asked how the club can ensure they lift the Premier League trophy again, he told the Anfield Wrap: 'This season, we all start from scratch. I think everyone has tried to improve their teams – and we as well, I think we've done great additions to the team so far. 'Let's see what happens for the rest of the transfer window. But I think it's all down to hard work, showing our quality and consistency and we all know how difficult that is. So we will focus on ourselves and the hard work is obviously already going – we work so hard in training, double sessions in the heat and humidity here.' Asked about the new signings, the Liverpool captain added: 'Coming to Liverpool, they will definitely have the quality to play for Liverpool. For me, it's very important as well how you settle in the group and how you fit into the squad that we have, and I think they did perfectly well. 'All of them. We don't speak about Armin – a young goalie who just came out of nowhere – has settled in pretty well. Obviously Freddie, Giorgi, Flo, Jeremie. Hugo came today of course. Everyone has to work hard and we're all in this together, that's the main thing. We have to fight for everything that's ahead of us.' Fellow senior pro Andy Robertson has been impressed by what he's seen too. He told the club website: 'The lads already have settled in really well. Obviously Hugo has just come in so we'll have our first dinner with him tonight. 'But Jeremie, Milos, Gio, Flo have all really settled in quite quickly and it's as if they've been here for months now, which is pleasing. It's just up to them to then understand the standards of playing with Liverpool, and I think they're getting to grips with that already.'
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Arne Slot aims dig at Liverpool star as he introduces Hugo Ekitike to new team-mates
Hugo Ekitike flew out to Hong Kong after completing his £79million transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt to Liverpool - and Arne Slot had an amusing way to introduce him Hugo Ekitike has joined up with his new team-mates after flying out to Hong Kong for Liverpool 's pre-season tour – and he appeared at ease straight away. Ekitike joined after Liverpool agreed a deal worth a potential £79million with Eintracht Frankfurt. He has signed a six-year contract with the Reds, who moved quickly to land the France under-21 striker after Frankfurt rejected an offer from Newcastle, while Manchester United also made a late attempt to sign him. Ekitike has followed Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez to the club during a busy transfer window that has seen Liverpool spend £265m on seven signings. There have been lots of new faces inside the Liverpool squad this summer as they prepare to defend their Premier League title. And the way Arne Slot has tried to make them feel at home was evident in behind-the-scenes footage shared by the club on social media. Ekitike signed for Liverpool on Wednesday before flying straight to Hong Kong on Thursday. He met his new team-mates at an open training session inside the Kai Tak Stadium, with the cameras there to show their interactions. After shaking hands with many of them, Slot gathered people around to introduce Ekitike, who he first spoke to at the end of the 2024/25 season. 'As you can see, we have a new player, so we're hoping he's the first Frenchman who can score goals for us,' Slot joked while looking around at defender Ibrahima Konate. The other players reacted by shouting 'Ibou!', while the camera showed Mohamed Salah grinning as he said 'wow' repeatedly. After chatting with Konate, Cody Gakpo was seen saying: 'Oh, so you're happy to have another Frenchman, eh!' Keeping Konate happy could be important for Liverpool after the centre-back's agitation earlier in the summer. Back in June, reports emerged saying he was 'disappointed' by the club's offer of a new contract. His representatives are pushing for higher wages after bumper new deals were handed out to Salah and Virgil van Dijk. Konate, whose current deal expires in June 2026, has been linked with Real Madrid, who have developed a reputation for signing players when they become free agents. Liverpool know that all too well, having lost Trent Alexander-Arnold in that fashion this summer, while Kylian Mbappe, Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba all arrived in Madrid that way too. It seems unlikely that Konate would leave this summer, but Liverpool have been eyeing Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi. Currently, though, all the excitement is over Alexander Isak, after the striker told Newcastle he wants to explore his options in the transfer market. Liverpool made an enquiry to Newcastle about Isak last week, before signing Ekitike, and it is understood they could afford the Swedish star, even after a busy summer. With Darwin Nunez, Harvey Elliott and Luis Diaz all potentially leaving, there are plenty more deals in the pipeline this summer. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Let's see what happens' - Virgil van Dijk hints at more Liverpool transfer business after blockbuster summer window
Liverpool are spending big this summer Have already signed Wirtz & Ekitike in attack Also linked with Rodrygo & Isak in the summer Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱 WHAT HAPPENED? Rising German star Florian Wirtz and dynamic right-back Jeremie Frimpong have both joined from Bayer Leverkusen, while Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez and French striker Hugo Ekitike, recently signed from Eintracht Frankfurt, have also been added to the roster. With the team's depth improving significantly, murmurs linking the club to Isak have only grown louder. WHAT VAN DIJK SAID Speaking after Liverpool's steamy pre-season fixture in Hong Kong, Van Dijk told the Anfield Wrap that the club might not be done just yet. "Let's see what happens for the rest of the transfer window," Van Dijk said. "I think we've made great additions to the team so far and I think they will definitely have the quality to play for Liverpool." THE BIGGER PICTURE Van Dijk also took the opportunity to commend the new faces for settling in quickly and adapting to Liverpool's demands. "For me, it's very important to see how they settle into the group and fit into the squad that we have and I think all of them have," he said. "There's Armin - the young goalie who just came from don't know where - and he's settled in pretty well. There's obviously Freddie, Giorgi, Flo, Jeremie, Hugo came today of course. Everyone has to work hard, we're all in this together and that's the main thing." DID YOU KNOW? Among the new arrivals, Ekitike has joined Liverpool with a reputation as one of Europe's brightest attacking talents and expectations around him are understandably high. Van Dijk was quick to welcome him with some light-hearted humour and added: "He's just flown in, but we'll probably have to fine him for wearing the wrong kit. No, it's good to have him here. Now he has to work his socks off and be important for us and that's enough." WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL? As speculation continues off the pitch, Liverpool's immediate focus turns to their next pre-season assignment. The Reds are set to take on Italian giants AC Milan this Saturday at the Kai Tak Sports Park Stadium in Hong Kong. The match will serve as another test for the new signings and give fans a closer look at how manager Arne Slot intends to shape the team ahead of the 2024–25 campaign.
Metro
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Metro
Virgil van Dijk reveals the first thing he told Liverpool signing Hugo Ekitike
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk got straight down to business upon meeting new signing Hugo Ekitike, telling the forward 'the hard work starts now'. The Premier League champions have been busy in the summer transfer market, with club bosses determined to build on the success of last season by bolstering Arne Slot's squad in several areas. On Wednesday evening, the Reds announced that they had reached an agreement to sign Eintracht Frankfurt's Ekitike, 23, on the back of the striker's eye-catching season in Bundesliga football. It's understood Liverpool agreed a fee in the region of £69million – plus £10m in add-ons – with Eintracht and there were no issues as Ekitike flew to England to complete a medical. Ekitike became Liverpool's fifth first-team addition of the window, following Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Florian Wirtz through the doors at Anfield. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we'll send you so we can get football news tailored to you. Despite Ekitike's arrival, the Merseyside giants remain in the hunt for Alexander Isak, who this week informed Newcastle of his desire to explore possible opportunities away from St James' Park. Liverpool fans got the chance to see Ekitike in their colours for the first time on Thursday as the Frenchman met up with his new team-mates on their pre-season tour of Asia. After he was pictured putting an arm around Ekitike at Hong Kong's Kai Tak Stadium, ahead of Liverpool's friendly with AC Milan, Van Dijk revealed exactly what he said to the attacker. 'He's just flown in. I'll probably fine him for wearing the wrong kit!' the Netherlands defender joked. 'Listen, it's good to have him here. I said to him, 'The hard work starts now'. 'He has to work his socks off and be important for us whenever he can. That's the message.' — James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) July 24, 2025 Van Dijk has been encouraged by Liverpool's recruitment and believes the likes of Ekitike, Frimpong and Wirtz would not have been added to the squad if they lacked the necessary qualities. The Dutchman added: 'I think they will definitely have the quality to play for Liverpool. 'For me, it's very important how the settle into the group and how they fit into the squad we have and I think they do perfectly well, all of them. 'Armin [Pecsi], the young goalkeeper, just came from out of nowhere and he's settled in pretty well. 'Obviously, Freddie [Woodman], Giorgi [Mamardashvili], Hugo came today, of course. 'Everyone has to work hard and we're all in this together. That's the main thing, we stick together no matter what.' According to Van Dijk, Liverpool can ill afford to rest on their laurels heading into the new season considering their rivals have also spent big money on strengthening across the summer. 'We all start from scratch this season. I think everyone has tried to improve their teams and us as well,' the Liverpool skipper added. 'I think we've made great additions to the team so far. Let's see what happens for the rest of the transfer window. 'It's all down to hard work and showing our quality and consistency. We know how difficult that is so we must focus on ourselves and the hard work has already begun. 'We work so hard in training, double sessions in the heat and humidity. But it's good to be here and seeing so many fans. We really appreciate it.' For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Benjamin Sesko 'gentleman's agreement' revealed after transfer interest from Premier League club MORE: Alan Shearer accuses Newcastle of lying as Liverpool target Alexander Isak MORE: Arsenal announce signing of 'intelligent' £13m Valencia star Cristhian Mosquera
New York Times
14 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
Alexander Isak's transfer options assessed: Liverpool? PSG? Al Hilal?
Alexander Isak has told Newcastle United he wishes to leave this summer, sparking a whirlwind of transfer speculation. As one of the world's pre-eminent strikers, the Sweden international will not be lacking in admirers — but what could be the most plausible move? Our experts assess Isak's options, including whether he may stay at Newcastle… Liverpool's interest in Isak is real and long-standing. The Premier League champions previously communicated their interest in the striker and a willingness to do a deal in the region of £120million. As Newcastle were adamant he was not for sale no formal bid was ever submitted and a move for Hugo Ekitike was completed instead. Advertisement Whether Liverpool now see Isak's desire to leave St James' Park as an opportunity to reignite that interest remains to be seen. He's regarded within Anfield as a surefire option, with a proven track record in the Premier League. Yet up to £79m has been invested in Ekitike, a long-term strike target regarded as a player of vast potential. Liverpool, who have spent nearly £300m already this summer, have also been unable to find a move for Darwin Nunez and have rejected approaches from Bayern Munich and Barcelona for Luis Diaz, so at present the forward line is heavily stacked. Perhaps a move for Isak could open up if the situation around Nunez and Diaz changes. Adding Isak to a summer rebuild alongside Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong would be quite the statement of intent. Gregg Evans If any club has the funds to pull off this deal it is Al Hilal. Not only are they one of the four clubs owned by the Saudi state's Private Investment Fund (PIF), they also benefit from the support of billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal who can help underwrite exceptional deals such as this one. While the Saudi Pro League (and PIF) are seeking to operate a financially sustainable project, the opportunity to acquire one of the best strikers in the world as he enters his peak years would be a huge coup as it attempts to establish itself as a globally-renowned league. Having failed in attempts to sign Bruno Fernandes and Victor Osimhen before the Club World Cup, Isak would represent a marquee signing that only Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al Nassr and Karim Benzema's switch to Al Ittihad could rival — and they both arrived well into their thirties. Isak moving to Saudi would widely be viewed as a step down in a footballing sense but the Saudis would rail against that and point to the performances in the Club World Cup as a sign that he could spearhead an exciting project that is attempting to upend the established hierarchy. They would certainly offer the finances to match that ambition. Advertisement Is that enough for a 25-year-old who is one of the best around at the moment and could still earn vast sums elsewhere in Europe? Even if affordability is not an issue for Al Hilal, there is the optics of a PIF-owned club buying the star player from Newcastle, another PIF-owned club. It would be the first deal of its kind within the group and would surely have negative ramifications for how Newcastle's supporters view the ownership, whose popularity was buoyed by leading the club to their first trophy in 56 years last season. Jordan Campbell Chelsea have no desire to pursue a move for Isak even if he is now looking to leave St James' Park. There has certainly been strong interest in the past but Newcastle's valuation of the forward meant a transfer never got close. But the situation has changed as Chelsea have already strengthened their attack this summer and are very happy with the business that they have done. They feel they have the right balance and depth. Striker Liam Delap was signed from Ipswich Town for £30m and versatile attacker Joao Pedro, who has already led the line for Chelsea at the Club World Cup, was bought from Brighton & Hove Albion for a fee in excess of £50m. Winger Jamie Gittens has joined from Borussia Dortmund too. They are considering adding another attacking player, depending on departures, however they are focusing on talent such as Xavi Simons, Morgan Rogers and Alejandro Garnacho. The cost to sign Isak is surely an issue too, especially given the player's potential wage demands would make him one of, if not the highest, earner at Stamford Bridge. Simon Johnson If there's a team who could afford to go and get Isak, it probably is the current European champions. They earned another €17m this week as part of a sell-on clause when Liverpool signed Ekitike and their coffers have been swelled by at least £200m through winning the Champions League and finishing as runners-up in the Club World Cup. They have previous for big-money buys too, smashing the transfer world record to sign Neymar from Barcelona for €222m in 2017. Advertisement These days, however, PSG are a little more reserved (relatively) and head coach Luis Enrique has developed a finely tuned culture and system which does not necessarily use a conventional No 9. At of the start of this window, Isak had not been among PSG's priorities, but it remains to be seen as to whether that may change now he is publicly agitating for a move. Randal Kolo Muani and Goncalo Ramos may both move on, which would create space for a striker, but whether PSG are prepared to commit so much money to one centre forward is another matter entirely. Real Madrid's Rodrygo has been linked but he is not currently in the club's plans, while the next player to arrive at PSG is most likely to be Bournemouth centre-back Illia Zabarnyi. Adam Crafton You have to go back to January 2022 for when Isak, then at Real Sociedad, was first under strong consideration by Mikel Arteta and Arsenal. The club did plenty of work to scope out a deal for the then-22-year-old, and hoped to secure him for less than his £75m release clause. Even though Isak joined Newcastle later that year, Arteta's admiration for the striker didn't wane and he was above Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko on the Arsenal manager's list of targets heading into this window. Understandably, at the time, getting him out of Newcastle was perceived as incredibly difficult and expensive, especially as he still has three years remaining on his contract, so Arsenal looked elsewhere, specifically Gyokeres, who is set to sign for an initial €63.5million from Sporting CP. The other factor worth noting is that Arsenal, Gyokeres' arrival aside, have already spent north of £100m this summer and still want a wide player, so it doesn't seem financially plausible that they would target Isak in addition to Gyokeres and further signings. Dan Sheldon A new striker was the prime order of business for Manchester United this summer; instead, they have spent more than £130m on two forwards who play off the very front. So club executives are still surveying the market for centre-forwards. Ollie Watkins and Nicolas Jackson have been discussed recently. Isak has not featured before now, however. Advertisement While Isak is one of the world's best in that position, Newcastle's hardline stance meant United looked elsewhere. Even now, the enormous cost of signing Isak makes a pursuit implausible. And besides, would he really trade the Champions League for a team who finished 15th in the Premier League last season? Should he even be persuaded to take a leap of faith to the INEOS project, the financials would require huge finessing, given United'a primary objective at this stage is sales. Garnacho is a valuable player to trade but Newcastle are well stocked in wide areas. Laurie Whitwell Perhaps had Erling Haaland not signed up to Manchester City for the next decade and Omar Marmoush not joined the party in January, City may have made room for such a special player. But with those two striker options it is impossible to see how they could accommodate Isak as Haaland has to play centrally. Yes, he could theoretically play off the left wing but would he want to play that role? Guardiola is also looking to trim his squad having added eight players since January. It is a non-starter. Jordan Campbell No doubt Isak has the stature to interest Bayern, but this deal is almost inconceivable. The fee being demanded would be prohibitive and he would have to accept playing as a left-sided forward again, rather than in the central role occupied by Harry Kane. Bayern were willing to spend at such a level on Florian Wirtz because he was only 22, he was German, and he was nowhere near realising his potential. Add that to the slightly awkward positioning dynamics — and Bayern seemingly having their sights trained on Liverpool's Diaz and Stuttgart's Nick Woltemade — and it's difficult to make a case, even if Isak was interested in a return to the Bundesliga, where he spent two years at Borussia Dortmund. Seb Stafford-Bloor When Isak was making a name for himself at Real Sociedad three years ago, Real Madrid did consider signing him. But this was before the arrivals of Kylian Mbappe and Endrick, and Madrid did not push for the Sweden striker as they were not sufficiently convinced by the potential fees involved. Isak ended up moving to Newcastle for £63m in August 2022. Now, it is even more unlikely, with Madrid believing that they have a surplus of options in attack. It is more likely that a forward will leave than one will join. If there was space in the squad it would not be easy to sign a striker like Isak at this stage in his career due to the cost involved. And anyway, Madrid have far more urgent positions to strengthen — particularly defence and midfield. Advertisement It would not be surprising if Isak liked the idea of returning to La Liga, where he excelled earlier in his career, but right now, a move to Madrid is almost unthinkable. Guillermo Rai If the starting point for Isak is £120m, then forget about it. The fee would be an Italian record at a time when no Italian team is in a position to pay anywhere near it. Nobody. As a mental exercise, though, Milan could use a centre-forward. Alvaro Morata looks on his way to Como and Santi Gimenez hasn't convinced since his move in the winter. James Horncastle The first new signing of the summer at Juventus was a striker. Jonathan David joined from Lille on a free transfer and unsuccessful attempts have been made to make Kolo Muani's loan from PSG permanent. Dusan Vlahovic is entering the final year of his contract and seems inclined to run it down. The inability to raise a fee for the Serb and get Serie A's highest paid player off the wage bill is a stumbling block. James Horncastle The club's owners Oaktree want the team to get younger this window. As such the average age of Inter's signings up until now has been in the low 20s. One of them, Ange-Yoan Bonny, is a striker and will develop behind Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram. Inter's focus for the moment is on persuading Atalanta to part with African Player of the Year, Ademola Lookman. James Horncastle Antonio Conte is renowned for pushing his owners to go the distance for a striker. That was the case with Romelu Lukaku at Inter. Aurelio De Laurentiis, the Napoli president, has gone big in the past, too, breaking the club record to buy Osimhen during the COVID-19 pandemic. But Isak would cost double that and Napoli have already bought Lorenzo Lucca this summer. James Horncastle The Catalans, and specifically sporting director Deco, would love to have the chance to sign Isak. Unfortunately for Barca, they can't. Deco admired Isak for a long time, seeing him as a standout candidate to be Barcelona's next No 9, a role they will need to tackle next summer when Robert Lewandowski gets to the end of his contract. Advertisement Isak also has a proven record at La Liga after his successful spell at Real Sociedad but Barca are not in a position to be anywhere near the figures this deal would involve. They had to pull out of their quest to sign Diaz this summer because they could not meet Liverpool's demands and a deal for Isak is expected to be way above what was discussed for the Colombian. Besides being outpriced, Barcelona are also struggling with their salary limit in La Liga and are set for another race against time to register their latest signings, Joan Garcia and Marcus Rashford, before the start of the season. Pol Ballus Is it really so ridiculous to imagine? That Tottenham Hotspur might not just smash their transfer record, but more than double it, to shock the world? Yes. Yes it is. There is more chance of Daniel Levy announcing a rebrand of the home kit to red shirts with white sleeves than there is of Spurs signing Isak. Tottenham already have a very good No 9 who is proven in the Premier League in Dominic Solanke. They paid an initial £55m for him last summer — with another £10m in potential add-ons — and he shone last year with his all-round game. Isak may well cost double or even close to three times Solanke's fee to get out of Newcastle. There is a lot more that Spurs could do with that much money. And that is before we even get to the thorny question of how exactly Isak — one of the most in-demand strikers in the world — would fit into Spurs' wage structure. Jack Pitt-Brooke Even if Isak stays, there will be at least some sort of a negative fallout. There always is when any player communicates a desire to move elsewhere, especially one who is arguably the world's best striker and one adored by Newcastle supporters. A period of reintegration will be required. For a start, Isak is yet to play a pre-season friendly and, unless he belatedly joins the tour, will not get the opportunity to do so until the weekend before the start of the Premier League campaign. Advertisement But Newcastle's need for a striker was already acute. Will Osula is currently leading the line and Sean Neave, the 18-year-old academy graduate who is yet to make his competitive debut, is the only other out-and-out centre-forward available to Howe. Having even a dissatisfied Isak in the starting XI next season would improve the present incarnation of a striker-less Newcastle. Isak scored a third (23) of Newcastle's 68 Premier League goals last season. Only Nottingham Forest's reliance on Chris Wood really compared. With a back-up forward proving tricky to acquire — Brentford's valuation of 28-year-old Yoane Wissa is far higher than Newcastle's and Ekitike has joined Liverpool — Eddie Howe would be better off with a distracted Isak than no striker at all. Contract talks had been intended and Newcastle would look to handsomely remunerate the forward, though whether they can match his market value due to profit and sustanability constraints is another matter. Howe has also intimated that handing Isak a higher pay packet may mean the wage budget needs trimming elsewhere, and he would also likely demand a release clause, or perhaps the promise of an exit should an elite club make an offer. Regardless, this situation is likely to alter how many Newcastle fans feel about Isak. Chris Waugh
