Blindsiding Liverpool : The Hugo Ekitike bid | OneFootball

The Hugo Ekitike transfer saga is nothing short of a masterclass in strategic misdirection by Newcastle United.

In a matter of months, we blindsided Liverpool not once, but twice.

First on the pitch (losing to them weeks before the Carabao Cup by playing a different tactical formation), and then off it, with a stunning move in the transfer market.

A formal bid of reportedly £69.5 million for Hugo Ekitike dropped like a bolt from the blue. No leaks. No long build-up. Just a sudden approach that left both fans and pundits scrambling to make sense of it.

Reactions? Mixed, as expected.

Some questioned how such a move fits within the confines of the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), especially with glaring needs elsewhere in the squad.

Others raised tactical concerns: can two stylistically similar players coexist in Eddie Howe’s system without stepping on each other’s toes?

There were murmurs about attitude issues during his time at PSG, an intangible but critical element Eddie Howe values as much as talent.

A few wondered if this was merely a statement signing, proof that we can finally compete with the big boys (not that we aren’t already doing so).

But my gut feeling says otherwise. This wasn’t about sending a message or grabbing headlines.

This was misdirection. A feint. A deliberate diversion.

I think there must have been some movement behind the scenes around contract negotiations with Isak’s agent. We know Arsenal couldn’t afford Isak but the one club that might afford him is Liverpool. They can make a move especially if they offload Diaz and Nunez. It’s also no secret that they’ve had an eye on Ekitike as a fallback option.

So, instead of sitting down with Isak’s agent who would no doubt leverage Liverpool’s interest to negotiate higher wages, Newcastle flipped the script.

We bid for Hugo Ekitike.

That triggered a panic reaction from Liverpool. They went to the media to state interest in signing Alexander Isak if Newcastle United were willing to sell. which didn’t even get a reaction/response from NUFC. Those raising PSR concerns knew that if we had to, we could’ve sold Gordon or Barnes to balance the books, if buying Hugo Ekitike. But Liverpool? They had no idea if we were bluffing or not.

Worried about losing both their first and second-choice of new strikers, they scrambled and submitted a bid for Ekitike too.

But here’s the twist: if we were really serious about signing Ekitike, wouldn’t we have done what we usually do? Improve our bid. Negotiate harder. But instead, the moment Liverpool countered, we withdrew. Just like that.

Job done.

Now we can return to the table with Isak’s agent, this time without the looming threat of Liverpool’s interest in driving up demands. No more external noise of buying Isak, no one could afford him this season.

Should we feel guilty for deceiving both Liverpool and Ekitike? Hell no. We used to be Liverpool’s feeder club. The moment our players had a standout season; they came pouncing. Beardsley. Hamann. Enrique. Carroll. Wijnaldum. We’ve played that role long enough.