Several reports claim that Hugo Ekitike is edging closer to becoming a Liverpool player. According to Fabrizio Romano, the deal will be completed for a fee over €90 million. If the bonuses are met,

Liverpool could pay up to £78m, with £69m up front, for Hugo Ekitike as talks continue over add-ons of deal; Liverpool moved for Ekitike after being told Newcastle forward Alexander Isak was not for sale;

Liverpool, who have already signed Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez to bolster a Premier League title-winning squad, are expected to wrap up a deal for the France U21 international after an outline of an agreement was reached with the Bundesliga outfit.

It was previously reported early in the week that Newcastle United had seen an €80m (£69.5m) offer rejected by Eintracht Frankfurt for Hugo Ekitike. I would have been more than happy for United to have signed the 23 year old as second striker to Alexander Isak,

Newcastle may have been strangely boosted by Liverpool closing in on Ekitike despite their own interest amid an assumption the Reds would then not move for their supposed dream No.9 Alexander Isak, but the Sweden international’s absence from the Magpies’ 4-0 friendly defeat to Celtic on Saturday raised eyebrows.

Latest Newcastle United transfer news and gossip with an update on the futures of Brentford forward Yoane Wissa and Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford