Agent says Newcastle came close to signing Hugo Ekitike before Liverpool swoop

Hugo Ekitike was on the verge of joining Newcastle United this summer before Liverpool intervened and completed a £79 million transfer for the forward, the agent who worked on the deal for Eintracht Frankfurt said.

Ali Barat, speaking to Italian newspaper Tuttosport, said he had negotiated terms with Frankfurt and the player and spent 10 days in Germany trying to finalise a move to Newcastle. "We agreed everything with the German club and the player," Barat said. "Then Liverpool called him and he chose Anfield." Barat described the collapse of the Newcastle move as his biggest regret of the transfer window.

Ekitike, a France international, moved from Paris Saint-Germain to Eintracht Frankfurt initially on loan and then on a permanent basis in 2024 for a reported £14 million after struggling for regular game time at PSG following a £30.6 million transfer to the French club in 2022. He scored 26 goals in 64 appearances for Frankfurt before the summer transfer activity.

Newcastle had monitored Ekitike since 2022 and renewed their interest after his spell in the Bundesliga. Reports in July said Frankfurt had rejected a £70 million offer from Newcastle that would have been a club-record signing. According to Barat, that proposal and others were part of negotiations that he had been running on Frankfurt's behalf.

Liverpool moved decisively in the latter stages of the transfer window, with Ekitike travelling to Merseyside alongside his agent Karl Mwalako to put the finishing touches on the deal. The signing formed part of a large summer outlay by Liverpool, which spent about £446 million overall and also completed a deadline-day £125 million deal to bring striker Alexander Isak from Newcastle to Anfield.

Ekitike made an early impression in the Premier League by scoring against the club that had pursued him. He netted Liverpool's second goal in a dramatic 3-2 victory at St James' Park, a match in which Liverpool's 2-0 lead was briefly overturned before a last-gasp winner secured the three points.

Barat said his work on the prospective Newcastle transfer was done while representing Eintracht Frankfurt and framed the attempted move as one that had reached an advanced stage. He told Tuttosport that, despite agreements with both club and player, Ekitike opted for Liverpool after contact from the champions.

Newcastle sources did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Eintracht Frankfurt have previously declined to disclose details of negotiations; clubs and agents typically refrain from commenting on unfinished deals.

Ekitike's trajectory illustrates the rapid swings of the modern transfer market. After failing to secure a regular place at PSG following his 2022 move, he rebuilt his value in Germany and attracted renewed interest from top Premier League clubs. Liverpool's willingness to spend heavily late in the window and the player's decision to favour Anfield brought the deal to a close and denied Newcastle a forward they had tracked for several seasons.

The move leaves questions for Newcastle about their transfer strategy and recruitment as they pursue alternatives in the market, while Liverpool have added a young forward who has already contributed on the pitch. Ekitike's season will be watched closely to see whether his form in the Bundesliga translates into regular Premier League goals and whether the transfer proves to be a decisive one for Liverpool's title defence and attacking depth.