Hugo Ekitike admits he could play alongside 'another striker' amid Liverpool's £150m pursuit of Alexander Isak

The reigning Premier League champions appeared to have made French forward Ekitike their most elaborate striking addition of the summer when prising him away from Eintracht Frankfurt for £79 million ($106m).

Prolific Swede Isak has, however, handed in a transfer request at Newcastle. He had been registering on the recruitment radar at Anfield before attention turned to Ekitike, and it is being suggested that the Reds could continue their elaborate spending with a raid on St James’ Park.

The history books will need to be rewritten in order to get a deal done, with Isak set to cost more than the British record £116m ($156m) that Liverpool splashed out on German playmaker Florian Wirtz, but Ekitike claims he would welcome another frontman to Merseyside.

Ekitike told Liverpool’s official website when asked about his best position: "I mean, I do what the coach asks me to do, but yeah, I like to do everything. I can’t define myself only as a striker [who likes] to finish: I like to play, I like to be in the game, in the collective part of play [and] create also. So, I can do both – I can play alone and I like to play also with another striker and I think that’s what makes me versatile, but you know now in this football you need to adapt."

The 23-year-old added when asked what opening his goal account at Anfield will feel like: "Yeah, Anfield is mad! I can’t wait to play there. Obviously I don’t even start to think about what it is to score a goal there. I think I will start to think when we come and we are going to play there, but it’s huge. I have seen it on TV and it’s crazy: crazy stadium and crazy fans, so I think it’s going to be amazing."

Liverpool are currently in the Far East for a couple of friendly dates on an Asian tour, with Ekitike - and potentially Isak - set to enjoy their first outing on home soil when Arne Slot’s side face Athletic Club on August 4.