Liverpool had become champions and Eintracht Frankfurt had qualified for the Champions League but thoughts soon shifted to what came next. Or who came next, anyway. Arne Slot spoke to Hugo Ekitike at the end of last season. The caller can’t have come as a surprise to the striker. Liverpool had been in contact with his camp since January. Liverpool were preparing for Darwin Nunez’s departure. Ekitike had seen his sidekick Omar Marmoush leave in the winter window. Frankfurt may have supplanted Borussia Dortmund as the Bundesliga’s experts in identifying, improving and profiting from talent. The guarantee is that they will sell, if the price is right.
Slot can be a persuasive salesman; or perhaps his club afforded him the best pitch. Manchester United made a late approach and Liverpool could enjoy taking one of their targets. Newcastle made a bid, before Liverpool swooped: their interpretation was that the Magpies only turned to Ekitike after missing out on Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, though Eddie Howe’s interest in the Frenchman dated back three years, to his first window in charge. Regardless, Ekitike preferred Liverpool. “This was the best choice,” he said three weeks ago. “The champions of England. They have great players and history. It just fitted for what I was looking for.” He joined in July for an initial £69m.
