Liverpool’s summer transfer window was full of surprises but none bigger than the sudden arrival of Hugo Ekitike, the French striker who many believed was destined to play for Newcastle United. For weeks Newcastle fans had been told that the deal was basically done, papers ready, personal terms agreed, everything pointing to St James’ Park. The black-and-white faithful thought they had their new striker, a young talent who had already been turning heads across Europe. But then, in the blink of an eye, Liverpool stepped in, picked up the phone, and hijacked the entire deal, leaving Newcastle broken and fans of the Magpies asking themselves how they let such a talent slip through their hands. What happened behind the scenes was not just a simple transfer twist, it was football drama of the highest order, the type of move that defines the cutthroat nature of Premier League transfer battles.
It was super agent Ali Barat who finally revealed what really went down. He was working directly on behalf of Eintracht Frankfurt, the German club who held Ekitike’s contract, trying to finalize everything with Newcastle. Barat stayed in Germany for ten days straight, locked in meetings, discussions, phone calls, and endless negotiation sessions to bring the French international striker to Tyneside. According to him, the agreement was complete. Newcastle had convinced Frankfurt, they had also convinced Ekitike, they even shook hands on personal terms. From the outside, the deal looked done and dusted. But then, when no one expected it, Liverpool called the player directly. One conversation with the Reds, one moment of clarity for the striker, and everything changed. Ekitike chose Anfield.
For Newcastle this was more than a disappointment, it was heartbreak. They had already imagined him playing up front, feeding off the energy of the Newcastle crowd, celebrating goals under the bright lights of St James’ Park. The club had invested so much effort into convincing him. Yet in modern football, sometimes all it takes is one call from a club with the size and history of Liverpool, and a player’s mind flips instantly. That’s what happened here. For Hugo Ekitike, the pull of the red shirt, the lure of playing at Anfield, and the idea of being part of Liverpool’s new project under Arne Slot proved too powerful to resist.
The story is even more dramatic when you look at Ekitike’s start to life at Liverpool. Instead of struggling to adapt or showing nerves after such a controversial transfer twist, he has exploded onto the Premier League scene. Three goals already in all competitions, a striker who looks comfortable, confident, and ready to fight for his place among Liverpool’s elite attackers. The energy he has shown, the work rate, the finishing, and the connection with his new teammates makes it clear Liverpool pulled off one of the biggest steals of the summer.
Newcastle fans, however, can’t help but wonder what could have been. If Ekitike had joined them, he would have been part of a project where he could have been the star of the attack, the face of their growing ambitions under Eddie Howe. Instead, they were left empty-handed, forced to watch him shine in red. That bitter taste is not going to fade quickly, especially if Ekitike continues to grow and becomes one of the Premier League’s top strikers.
The timing of Liverpool’s move also made it all the more ruthless. It was not a case of Liverpool scouting the player for months and negotiating with Frankfurt openly. No, this was a smash-and-grab, a last-minute swoop, executed with precision. They waited until everything was done with Newcastle, until the paperwork was basically ready, then they swooped in and snatched him away. It shows not just Liverpool’s transfer power but also their determination under new manager Arne Slot to rebuild the attack with fresh young talent. Slot wanted another striker, he wanted someone hungry, and when the opportunity came, Liverpool wasted no time.
Ali Barat himself admitted the shock of it all. “We agreed everything with the German club and the player,” he said, “then Liverpool called him and he chose Anfield.” The simplicity of the statement hides the chaos it must have caused. Imagine Newcastle staff sitting in their offices, thinking the deal was complete, only to find out at the last second that the player they fought so hard to bring in was heading elsewhere. It is the type of twist that can break a club’s transfer strategy in two.
Ekitike’s decision also highlights a deeper truth in football transfers: players dream differently. For some, the project of Newcastle, the rising ambition, the promise of being a starter is enough. But for others, the prestige of Liverpool, the lure of Anfield, the thought of wearing the same shirt as legends like Steven Gerrard, Luis Suárez, and Mohamed Salah is something money and guarantees cannot compete with. For Ekitike, Liverpool was the dream that couldn’t be ignored.
Liverpool fans, of course, are celebrating. They see in Ekitike not just another signing but a player who can carry the attack forward into a new era. He is only 23 years old, yet he already plays with the maturity of someone much older. His movement off the ball, his ability to press defenders, his finishing touch — all of these qualities are exactly what Slot wants in his high-energy system. And when you add the fact that Liverpool also signed Alexander Isak from Newcastle this summer, the story becomes even more brutal for the Magpies. Not only did they lose the player they thought was theirs in Ekitike, but they also lost their top striker Isak to the very same club. That is the definition of a transfer window nightmare.
The combination of Isak and Ekitike is something Liverpool fans are excited about. Isak, tall, elegant, clinical in front of goal, combined with the energy, hunger, and dynamism of Ekitike, could form a deadly partnership. Slot knows that partnerships are built over time, but already the signs are there. When both players are on the pitch, defenders are uncomfortable. They stretch the backline, they run into dangerous spaces, and they force mistakes. Liverpool may have just built the foundation of their attack for the next five years in one single summer.
Ekitike’s early goals also help silence the doubters. Some said he would struggle with the physicality of the Premier League, some believed he wasn’t proven enough to walk into a team like Liverpool. But football is about moments, and Ekitike has already delivered. A goal on his debut, more goals in his first few matches, and the look of a player who is enjoying himself. The Anfield crowd has embraced him quickly. They sing his name, they cheer his runs, they already see him as one of their own.
For Newcastle, the wound is still fresh. They will wonder if they hesitated too long, if they should have pushed harder to get the deal over the line before Liverpool could make their call. In football transfers, timing is everything. The delay gave Liverpool their chance, and they took it with both hands. Eddie Howe will now have to regroup, find other options, and deal with the disappointment of losing two major attacking targets in the same summer to the same rival.
Behind all the drama, though, one fact is clear: Liverpool have a gem in Hugo Ekitike. At 23, with room to grow, surrounded by quality players, and with a manager who believes in him, he has the perfect platform to become a star. And for a player who once stood on the verge of joining Newcastle, the journey he is now on looks like it will be written in red.
This transfer story will be remembered as one of the most dramatic hijacks in recent years. It had everything: negotiations that lasted days, a player who was convinced, a rival who believed they had won, and then the sudden twist when a bigger club arrived. It shows how unpredictable football can be, how dreams can change in one phone call, and how ruthless the Premier League transfer game has become. For Ekitike, though, there is no regret. He chose Liverpool, he chose Anfield, and now he is living the dream that every young footballer imagines.
And as the season goes on, as he scores more goals, as he celebrates in front of the Kop, the story of how Liverpool stole him from Newcastle will be told again and again. For Newcastle fans, it will always sting, but for Liverpool fans, it will always be a reminder that sometimes, when you least expect it, your club pulls off the perfect heist.
