Florian Wirtz has already hinted at Arne Slot Liverpool plan for Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike

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James’ Park as the Magpies saw a £70m bid rejected by the Bundesliga outfit.

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Meanwhile, Liverpool supporters took great joy in an apparent power play, perceiving the club’s stance to be something along the lines of: ‘Sell us your star striker or we’ll sign your main target instead’.

With Newcastle refusing to sell Isak, the Reds went ahead and moved for Ekitike.



An initial £69m deal was agreed with Frankfurt, but it soon became clear that their pursuit of the forward was not an 11th hour steal.

It's understood Liverpool initially made advances over Ekitike back in January as Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes began to gently plan how their attack might look for the campaign ahead.

Slot spoke to the the player at the end of last season and sold him the vision for how he would fit in when leading the line.

Already armed with all the data, scouting reports and character references needed to pursue the deal, the Reds were then able to act quickly to conclude a deal after Newcastle’s own initial bid was rejected.

Liverpool’s willingness to be proactive earlier in the calendar year ultimately allowed them to gain the necessary information to proceed when it was agreed that Ekitike was the right player for the next stage of their evolution up front.

But his arrival was not the end of the Reds’ attacking evolution as they continued to pursue Isak.

James’ Park.

Sure enough, he got his dream move to Anfield as Newcastle’s dream of seeing Ekitike and Isak as team-mates became reality - just not one they would be free to enjoy.

Liverpool now boast an £194m pairing in attack, with it inevitable that onlookers are calling for them to field both strikers together off the back of Ekitike’s explosive start to his Anfield career.

"Maybe at times you'll see a front two employed by the manager," Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher recently suggested to Sky Sports.

Such a notion has perhaps gathered popularity given the fact that Ekitike shone alongside Omar Marmoush in a front two during the first half of last season.

“I’m interested to see whether Liverpool play a 4-4-2,” former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, who enjoyed his own memorable strike-partnership with Michael Owen, recently admitted to aceodds.

I think Isak and Ekitike can bounce off each other and offer something dynamic in the attacking third.”

“Interestingly neither of them like to stay centrally.

But their summer recruitment has given them the best possible opportunity to rectify such ‘shortcomings’ last year.

With Isak short on match fitness after a disjointed pre-season with Newcastle, Ekitike will likely continue to lead the line for Liverpool in the short-term.

The former will be limited to a debut off the bench at best away at Burnley on Sunday as the Reds gradually get him up to speed.

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But once Isak has found his feet at Anfield, Slot’s hand, featuring a new-look £294m attack to complement his already existing options, will have never been stronger.

And while a front two of Isak and Ekitike might not be a regular sight at Liverpool, if Wirtz's admission is anything to go by, Newcastle’s unfulfilled dream is still set to become the nightmare of Premier League defences.