Mbappe comparisons and January approach: How Liverpool landed Ekitike

Months of legwork and encouraging data are behind Liverpool's move for the French striker this summer.

Photo: IMAGO | Anfield Index

The murky nature of football reporting means that Newcastle have ended up looking like the victims of a late hijack in missing out on Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool.

But the reality is that the Magpies only turned their attention to the Frenchman after failing in bids to sign both Liam Delap and Joao Pedro ahead of Chelsea earlier this summer.

And that left them scrambling to join the race for a player whose camp had, in fact, been in contact with the Reds since as far back as January.

It is as a result of this proactive approach that Arne Slot was able to speak with Ekitike at the end of last season, selling a vision of life at Anfield to him.

That meant there was no panic on Merseyside when Newcastle made their move earlier this month, even if it suggested Eintracht Frankfurt might get the auction they had long desired.

Instead, Liverpool simply waited until the fundamentals of a deal were in place and they were armed with a clearer idea of Frankfurt’s demands before eventually pouncing.

The same approach had allowed them to steal Luis Diaz from under Tottenham Hotspur’s noses in January 2022.

And that it was backed up by months of legwork on the player's side in this instance meant that Newcastle’s overtures and even a late approach from Manchester United director of recruitment Christopher Vivell fell on deaf ears.