Fabrizio Romano confirms Richard Hughes CAN sign €80m forward

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that one of the club's top targets is available in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Last year was a quiet one for Richard Hughes as he settled into his new role but this time around it's going to be the antithesis of that.

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Not only does he have crucial contracts to sort out but also a big summer overhaul to plan.

Anfield Watch revealed exclusively that Liverpool are open to selling three of Arne Slot's attackers, with the Reds intending to build their attack anew.

This will involve recruiting some interesting options and pursuing the right deals not necessarily the biggest ones.

If multiple attackers leave Liverpool, the chances are Hughes will need to bring in 2-3 to replace them, which may mean adapting the Jude Bellingham strategy that saw the Reds sign Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch in one summer rather than just signing the then Borussia Dortmund star to overhaul their midfield.

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So expect no Alexander Isak but perhaps more...

Fabrizio Romano confirms Hugo Ekitike can leave Liverpool

... Hugo Ekitike. The Frenchman is eerily similar to Isak but would cost half the price with recent reports claiming he would be available €80m which is roughly £67m, significantly less than Isak's whopping £150m asking price.

Yet at the same time, Ekitike does a lot of what Isak does and he would suit the Reds equally as well. His age profile is nice considering he is only 22-years-old and he is very much a facilitator and a goalscorer, which is exactly what Slot wants in his attackers.

Ekitike is a target for Liverpool this summer and he's been on the club's radar for years, first attracting the attention when he broke onto the scene at Reims.

There have been claims that Ekitike would not be up for sale this summer, so soon after Eintracht Frankfurt had sold their other star forward Omar Marmoush to Manchester City in the January window.

However, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Ekitike is indeed expected to leave Frankfurt and that several Premier League clubs have made calls about him.

Liverpool would undoubtedly be one of those clubs, and the fact that he is expected to leave opens the door for Hughes to make a move.

The 22-year-old attacker is the perfect option. He is someone who is able to come in and immediately hit the ground running.

There are other options that are perhaps more alluring by name, but Ekitike is the smart business for Liverpool. It is the kind of transfer we have become to expect from Michael Edwards and his team.

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The kind of transfer FSG have brought back Edwards and his team to pull off.

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