Hugo Ekitike: I Almost Joined Newcastle Before Liverpool Swooped In

Hugo Ekitike has revealed he was on the verge of joining Newcastle United last summer before Liverpool made a late move for the French forward. The 23-year-old ultimately signed for the Reds in a £79m deal from Eintracht Frankfurt, a transfer that has now been mirrored by Liverpool's pursuit of Osasuna star Victor Munoz.

Ekitike's Near Move to Newcastle

Speaking ahead of facing the Magpies in January, Ekitike admitted: "Obviously we were close to signing for Newcastle but I made my choice. I knew where I wanted to come, so that's all I can give to you." When asked about a potential hostile reception from Newcastle fans, he added: "I don't care. I play for Liverpool, I have my fans here, we played there already and won so hopefully we will have a great week of working. I don't care about this, I just want to play and help the team. It is simple."

Agent Reveals Liverpool's Intervention

Agent Ali Barat revealed that a phone call from Liverpool changed everything. "Hugo Ekitike. I was working on behalf of Eintracht Frankfurt to bring him to Newcastle," Barat told TuttoSport. "I stayed in Germany for 10 days. We agreed everything with the German club and the player, then Liverpool called him and he chose Anfield."

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Liverpool's Repeat Pattern

Liverpool have now hijacked another Newcastle target, Victor Munoz, triggering his £34.5m release clause. The 22-year-old has agreed a six-year deal at Anfield, becoming Andoni Iraola's first signing as manager. This marks the third time in a year that Liverpool have impacted Newcastle's transfer plans, following the signings of Ekitike and Alexander Isak.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe had previously expressed interest in Ekitike, saying: "I think there's no doubting that I really like Hugo and have done for a number of years. He's someone that we've tracked for a long time."

Ekitike's debut season at Liverpool was a resounding success, scoring 17 goals in all competitions despite an injury-shortened campaign. The France international instantly began repaying his hefty fee, proving to be a key asset for the Reds.