Liverpool turn attention towards Hugo Ekitiké | OneFootball

Newcastle United’s qualification for the UEFA Champions League could have a knock-on effect on the future of Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitiké (22), according to Sacha Tavolieri.

The French forward is the subject of significant interest after a breakthrough campaign in the Bundesliga. Much of the interest in the former Paris Saint-Germain No.9 comes from the Premier League, with RMC Sport citing an interest from Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool. Those three teams have qualified for next season’s Champions League, as have Newcastle.

The Tyneside club’s qualification for the competition could have consequences in the race to sign Ekitiké. As a result of their qualification, Alexander Isak is now very unlikely to leave the club. The Swedish forward had been a target for Liverpool. Now, the Premier League champions will instead turn their full focus towards Ekitiké, who is seen as a replacement for Darwin Nuñez, should he leave, either for Saudi Arabia or for Spain, as per Tavolieri. As reported by RMC Sport, the Frenchman will not go cheap with his club demanding a fee between €80-100m.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle