An agent involved in the negotiations surrounding Hugo Ekitiké says the striker was set to join Newcastle United before Liverpool intervened.

Ali Barat, who says he worked on behalf of Eintracht Frankfurt, described a process he considered complete until a late contact from Liverpool changed the outcome. “I was working on behalf of Eintracht Frankfurt to bring him to Newcastle ,” Barat told Tuttosport . “I stayed in Germany for 10 days. We agreed everything with the German club and the player, then Liverpool called him and he chose Anfield.” Barat added that the Reds were only hours away from missing out on the French forward, and that Isak would ultimately end up at Anfield as well.

The Ekitiké story was not isolated. Florian Wirtz rejected an expected move to Bayern Munich and instead completed a £116 million ($156.6 million) transfer to Anfield, according to the report. Bayern honorary president Uli Hoeneß spoke on Doppelpass about his club’s business and took aim at rivals over several signings.

Hoeneß referenced Newcastle’s spending on Nick Woltemade, accusing them of using “Monopoly money” to secure that signature, and then turned his attention to the Wirtz deal. “We’re very satisfied at FC Bayern,”” Hoeneß began. “We are the real winners of the summer transfer window. We have a strong team and didn’t need to strengthen it much.

“Of course, we would have liked to have Florian Wirtz, but we’d never have bought him for €150 million.”

The account from Barat reinforces how quickly transfer situations can change when multiple clubs engage late in negotiations. In this case, what Barat describes as an almost-finalised agreement with Eintracht and Newcastle was overturned when Liverpool made a late approach and the player opted for Anfield.

Liverpool have decided not to reopen talks to sign Crystal Palace centre back Marc Guéhi in January, sources say, even as uncertainty surrounds Ibrahima Konaté’s future at Anfield. Guéhi is in the final year of his contract and is not expected to sign a new deal with Palace. His club’s decision to block a previous move to Liverpool is believed to have left him frustrated.

Overseas clubs can approach Guéhi over a free transfer from January, with Barcelona and Real Madrid among the clubs touted as potential suitors. If Liverpool were to pursue him in the winter window they would again need to agree a fee with Palace, but The Times report that Liverpool have ruled out paying a transfer fee for a player who wants to join and is approaching the end of his contract. The club are said to prefer waiting until the summer to try to sign Guéhi on a free transfer.

The Telegraph add that within Anfield there is a sense some of the external speculation is aimed at pressuring Liverpool into action in January. The club’s stance mirrors the situation they face with Ibrahima Konaté. Konaté is also in the final year of his contract and attempts to secure an extension have so far been unsuccessful.

Konaté is a known target for Real Madrid and was asked whether Kylian Mbappé had been speaking to him about a move to the Santiago Bernabéu. “He calls me every two hours!” Konaté joked in an interview with Téléfoot, in which he also insisted he does not speak Spanish. Madrid, like Liverpool over Guéhi, are thought to be willing to wait until next summer to pursue Konaté on a free transfer, while the Reds remain frustrated by the loss of Trent Alexander-Arnold to the 15-time Champions League winners a few months ago.

Mohamed Salah remains the benchmark on Liverpool’s right wing after being named 2024–25 Premier League Player of the Season. The club’s recruitment network is already considering long-term replacements because maintaining continuity after the exit of a modern icon has been central to Liverpool’s success.

Michael Olise: Now at Bayern Munich after leaving Crystal Palace, Olise produced 20 goals and 20 assists in his debut season for the Bundesliga champions and was named Rookie of the Season for 2024–25. The 23-year-old can play centrally or on the flank and is noted for his first touch and finishing. Recent reports have suggested that Olise is viewed by the Reds as Salah’s dream replacement.

Rodrygo: Regularly linked with a Real Madrid exit with Arsenal and Manchester City mentioned as potential suitors, Rodrygo has struggled to impress new manager Xabi Alonso and appears intent on winning Alonso over in 2024–25. Comfortable on the right despite being right-footed, he has managed 34 goals and 31 assists in 146 appearances in that role. Liverpool have been touted as prospective buyers in previous windows.

Antoine Semenyo: The Ghana international has directly troubled Liverpool, opening the scoring in Bournemouth’s 3–1 defeat to Liverpool in 2023–24 and scoring a brace in Bournemouth’s 4–2 defeat at Anfield after alleged racist abuse in the first half. He managed 13 goals and six assists last season, attracted interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, and signed a new contract over the summer.

Anthony Gordon: A player Liverpool once released at the age of 11, Gordon is now at Newcastle United after leaving Everton. The Reds were interested last summer but did not match Newcastle’s demands. Gordon prefers the left but has been used on the right by Eddie Howe, where he recorded a goal and six assists in 11 appearances. Liverpool remain thought to monitor him.

Bradley Barcola: Comfortable on either flank, Barcola has totalled five goals and 14 assists in 29 matches from the right wing across his career, with nine of those contributions coming across the last two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain. He produced 21 goals and 18 assists in 2024–25 under Luis Enrique, has 15 caps for France and scored twice since his senior debut in May 2024. Reports claim PSG rebuffed bids from Liverpool while L’Équipe outlined the Reds’ interest.

Each option presents different strengths, and Liverpool’s next right-sided star will need to offer consistency, creativity and a high output in goals and assists to follow Salah’s example.