‘Outrageous’ fee hike causes Slot alarm as SECOND Liverpool striker target slips away

Liverpool are likely to quickly veer away from their growing interest in Hugo Ekitike after the Eintracht Frankfurt striker’s price skyrocketed in a move branded “outrageous”, forcing Arne Slot and Richard Hughes to re-evaluate their next move.

The Reds will be crowned Premier League champions this weekend if they can see off Tottenham at Anfield, securing only their second English league crown in the last 35 years. While a remarkable achievement for Slot in his first season at the helm, Liverpool are now making serious plans for a period of lengthy domination.

To that end, Slot has been granted permission to spend heavily this summer and put his mark down on the squad he inherited from Jurgen Klopp.

With sources declaring back in February that Liverpool are ready to embark on what was described to us as a ‘historic summer window’, David Ornstein has revealed the three priority positions that the Reds will target.

While reinforcements are likely in defence, Slot also wants to sign a new No.9 this summer, though hopes of prising Alexander Isak away from Newcastle look doomed to failure with the Magpies demanding a fee in excess of £130m.

That had led Liverpool to take a growing interest in landing Ekitike from Frankfurt, though those hopes have also now suffered a blow after the Bundesliga side decided to ramp up his asking price to a staggering €100m (£85.5m, $113.9m).

As a result, Liverpool journalist David Lynch now expects the Reds to walk away from negotiations.

“In terms of progressing with it, I’m getting increasingly sceptical with this,” Lynch told Anfield Index’s Media Matters podcast.

“That price tag is outrageous for someone as raw as he seems. To go from Nunez to him… it would feel a little bit like going out of the frying pan and into the fire. Still seems to me to be rough edges.

“But also, the thing that’s making me sceptical is that I haven’t really been given any encouragement on the name from the Liverpool side as someone that’s been talked about a lot on the training ground or someone they’re raving about.”

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Liverpool forced into striker re-evaluation

Having previously been valued at around the €75m (£64.1m, $85.4m) mark, clearly the new asking price for Ekitike is simply too high a price for Liverpool – and likely most of his suitors to pay.

While having enjoyed an excellent season – the former PSG man has netted 21 goals and added another nine assists from 44 appearances – it is simply too great a price to pay for a player as raw as the France Under-21 striker is.

As a result, Slot and Hughes will likely be forced back to the drawing board and to consider other targets on their radar.

And one player who could fit the bill is Liam Delap. The England Under-21 striker has proved a smash hit in the Premier League this season, after scoring 12 times in 35 appearances for Kieran McKenna’s struggling side.

And with Ipswich’s relegation soon likely to be confirmed, Delap will be available for a bargain £30m fee this summer as a result of a clause in his deal.

That has sparked mass interest in his signing, with Man Utd and Chelsea also among his suitors.

Indeed, our transfer correspondent Fraser Fletcher revealed earlier this month that Liverpool had already made an initial approach for his services.

Either one, it is certain that Liverpool will try and sign a new No.9 this summer, with Darwin Nunez certain to leave and having failed to earn Slot’s trust during the Dutchman’s first year at Anfield.

Liverpool latest: Hughes targets teenage sensation; De Bruyne links mocked

Meanwhile, Liverpool are being tipped to seal the signing of another incredible teenage talent, with sporting director Richard Hughes aims to pull off a transfer coup with the addition of a quality Leicester City starlet in a move seen as a repeat of their Rio Ngumoha raid on Chelsea.

Elsewhere, a trusted source insists there is absolutely zero chance of the Reds offering departing Manchester City legend Kevin De Bruyne a Premier League lifeline after delivering a withering assessment of just how far the Belgian has declined.

And finally, Fabrizio Romano has delivered Liverpool some hugely-promising news over the chances of Real Madrid beating them to the signing of Dean Huijsen – while the Bournemouth star is one of three targets confirmed for the Reds by David Ornstein this summer.

Which striker should Liverpool prioritise this summer?