Liverpool summer signing Hugo Ekitike had agreed terms with Newcastle United before the Reds came calling.

Hugo Ekitike was on the verge of joining Newcastle United this summer. However, the move collapsed after Liverpool approached the French international. The former Eintracht Frankfurt snubbed the Magpies to join the Merseyside club.

Super-agent Ali Barat, who was working on the deal, has revealed the details while speaking to Tuttosport in Italy. He suggested that the Tyneside club had everything in place to secure Ekitike’s services, but Liverpool managed to hijack the deal at the very end.

Barat said via : “Hugo Ekitike. I was working on behalf of Eintracht Frankfurt to bring him to Newcastle. 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.”

Heading into the transfer window, Newcastle’s priority was to keep hold of Alexander Isak and, at the same time, bring in another world-class striker to support the Swedish international and give Eddie Howe more quality options in the final third.

Liverpool hijacked Newcastle’s move for Ekitike

Howe is a massive admirer of Ekitike, and the Magpies had been following him for a while; as a result, they decided to push hard for his signature. Barat, who was working on behalf of Frankfurt to help get a deal over the line with Newcastle, suggests everything was agreed with the German club as well as the player.

However, Ekitike had a last-minute change of heart when Liverpool called. Once he learned of the Merseyside club’s interest, the 23-year-old chose to snub Newcastle and move to Anfield instead.

So far, the decision seems to be paying off, as the Reds are flying high and Ekitike has already contributed three goals and an assist in his first four appearances under Arne Slot.

Not only did Liverpool steal Ekitike from Newcastle’s grasp, but they also dealt another blow to Howe’s side by signing their attacking star Alexander Isak on deadline day after a protracted transfer saga.

The French striker could have been a very valuable addition to the Tyneside club’s first team, but they failed to compete with Liverpool, who certainly have a much better project to offer at this stage.