Liverpool to battle Arsenal in the race to sign 22-year-old striker | OneFootball

Liverpool and Arsenal Circle Hugo Ekitike Amid Isak Price Tag Warning

Market Moves and Mixed Messages

Football’s transfer window operates less like a marketplace and more like a murmuring theatre — full of intention, illusion and the occasional truth whispered too loudly. So when word emerges that both Arsenal and Liverpool are circling Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, what it says about their current identities is perhaps more revealing than who actually gets signed.

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Per The Mirror, both clubs have cooled their interest in Alexander Isak due to Newcastle’s eye-watering £150 million valuation. In today’s market, even interest comes at a cost. “One option that both clubs really like is a move for Newcastle striker Alexander Isak,” the article reads, “however, the Toon have slapped a whopping £150m price tag on his head, which is unsurprisingly a major stumbling block for any interested party.”

Isak, supremely talented and commercially locked behind the iron gates of PIF-era valuation, becomes the symbol of what Premier League spending has become — top-end talent, yes, but prohibitively expensive even for the elite.

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Ekitike: Rebooting a Reputation

Enter Hugo Ekitike. Once dubbed the next big thing in France, then misused at PSG, the 22-year-old striker now thrives at Frankfurt. He has scored 19 goals this season and is reportedly available for around £60 million — a snip in comparison to Isak, and enough to attract interest from Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Bayern Munich.

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The Mirror reports: “Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle and Bayern Munich are also keeping abreast of developments regarding the 22-year-old’s future.”

For both Arsenal and Liverpool, the logic is self-evident. Arsenal, as ever, seek a reliable goalscorer to supplement or succeed Gabriel Jesus.

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Liverpool, meanwhile, stand at the precipice of a post-Salah era, with doubts surrounding Darwin Núñez, Diogo Jota and Luis Díaz. Arne Slot’s impending task may not be simply to refresh the forward line, but to rebuild it entirely.

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Arsenal’s Shadow Deal?

Then there’s Martin Keown’s intriguing suggestion: “I would suggest that there is already a player bought and it’s already done from an Arsenal point of view. They won’t make that mistake again.”

Keown’s words — whether insight or intuition — speak to Arsenal’s recent errors in timing and transparency. Last summer’s business was assertive; this time, they might be keeping their cards closer. Could that “already done” player be Ekitike? Or is it someone we haven’t yet considered?

Navigating a Changing Market

What’s clear is that Liverpool and Arsenal are adapting — perhaps reacting — to a market where Premier League inflation meets continental prudence. Ekitike represents a compromise: a player with upside, experience in Europe’s top five leagues, and a point to prove.

At £60 million, he is no bargain, but in the prism of modern football, he is at least a calculated risk. And more importantly, he is available — something that cannot be said of Isak.

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Let’s not get carried away. Hugo Ekitike has had a solid season, yes, but a single good run in the Bundesliga after flopping at PSG isn’t quite the proven pedigree either Arsenal or Liverpool need right now.

For Arsenal fans, the name doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. They’ve been down this road before — potential over polish. If the aim is to catch Manchester City, not just compete, shouldn’t they be signing someone who guarantees goals, not one still trying to prove he belongs at this level?

As for Liverpool, it feels like déjà vu. Nunez was supposed to be the answer, and now they’re already lining up someone else? If Salah stays, how do you fit Ekitike in? And if Salah leaves — surely a bigger name is required? There’s also the Arne Slot factor: will he want to build his side around a raw 22-year-old?

Ultimately, this feels like an opportunistic link — a classic summer rumour built on affordability rather than ambition. If either club is serious about challenging for silverware, fans will be hoping this is Plan C — not Plan A.