Arne Slot took centre stage to convince Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike to reject a move to Newcastle United in favour of Liverpool | OneFootball

Liverpool manager Arne Slot took centre stage to help convince Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike to reject a move to Newcastle United and St. James’ Park in favour of Anfield, according to French outlet L’Equipe.

Newcastle have had the 23-year-old Frenchman on their radar for years and were keen to sign him before he moved to Paris Saint-Germain from Reims in 2022.

Magpies manager Eddie Howe had plans to play Ekitike alongside Alexander Isak and complement him, but the Bundesliga star is set to join Liverpool after agreeing to terms of a six-year contract, with their boss playing a key role.

Slot had a video call with Ekitike, introducing him to his vision and their evolution of their game plan.

Liverpool want a mobile and versatile striker who is capable of multitasking while expressing his creativity in their possession-based play sequences, and the Dutchman successfully convinced the Newcastle target that he is the man for the job.

Frankfurt rejected a written offer of €80m from the Toons for Ekitike, and Liverpool quickly moved in by offering a €90m deal.

It was enough to convince the German club and the player also agreed to move to the Premier League champions instead of Newcastle.

The Magpies may end up needing two new strikers this summer as Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal reportedly want Isak, and the Swede is said to be open to a move.

Newcastle insist he is not for sale for even £120m, but their fellow Public Investment Fund club could be willing to pay much more for him if that will be enough to get a deal done, and some interesting developments are expected in the coming days and weeks.

Losing such a player as they prepare for Champions League football and a top-four Premier League finish is the last thing the Toons want, and their fans will be desperately hoping they can hold on to him beyond this summer.