£70m forward confirms he WILL be Liverpool’s next signing

Liverpool need forwards this summer and it's already clear who will be the first arrival at Anfield.

Richard Hughes is planning an overhaul in the attack as exclusively revealed by Anfield Watch back in January.

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This could see three out of Arne Slot's current options move to pastures new with Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz all up for sale.

It's a necessary change. Nunez and Diaz have proven to be streaky players. Neither have really lived up to the expectations with which they arrived.

Jota on the other hand has struggled for fitness and he's become an unreliable figure for the Reds, spending far too much time on the treatment table.

Starting a new chapter under Slot, it makes sense for Hughes to bring in players who are suited to the Dutchman's style of play and bring about change.

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It will begin an evolution in this brand new Slot era at Anfield and who will headline that evolution has pretty much become confirmed over the last week.

Hugo Ekitike confirms he is Liverpool's first choice

Anfield Watch revealed exclusively that Liverpool held talks with Hugo Ekitike's representatives. These were preliminary talks and they were positive.

The Frenchman is highly regarded by Liverpool's scouts, who view him as the perfect option for the club and have been tracking him ever since he emerged onto the scene at Reims back in the 2021/22 season.

The club's primary choice is Alexander Isak but it's becoming apparent that Liverpool will not be able to persuade Newcastle United to sell him.

That's why Ekitike has emerged as the alternative first choice. Anfield Watch understands he's available for around £70m this summer, which would still be significantly less than the £150m price tag on Isak at the moment.

Among Liverpool's fanbase, there have been some eyebrows raised about Ekitike, and whether he is ready for a step up to Anfield.

But he confirmed there should be no qualms about him against Tottenham in the Europa League on Thursday night.

Ekitike opened the scoring with a brilliant finish and he was a constant nuisance for the Premier League defenders. At one point, he even outpaced the fastest player in the Premier League in Micky van de Ven.

His performance is a confirmation not just of his quality but that he is the most obvious next signing for Liverpool.

These are the kind of transfers Liverpool have done time and time again. When the Reds were quoted a ludicrous amount for Jude Bellingham, they went and signed Dominik Szoboszlai instead.

It then allowed Liverpool to also buy Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch in the same summer, which is moot they would have been able to do if they went all in on Bellingham.

This time around Hughes knows there are other needs in the squad that need to be addressed and he simply cannot afford a massive investment in one player.

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Liverpool always make the smart choice and right now Ekitike is the smartest choice in the market.