Ekitike to Newcastle: Deja Vu Disaster?! Fans Fear Torres Repeat!

'Torres-like' Ekitike haunts long-term admirers Newcastle

Ekitike to Newcastle: Deja Vu Disaster?! Fans Fear...

Newcastle United just can't seem to catch a break. Not only did they lose 4-1 to Liverpool on Saturday, but they had to watch a player they desperately wanted, Hugo Ekitike, tear them apart. The young Frenchman, now dazzling at Anfield, has been a target for the Magpies for years, making the defeat sting that much more.

Anfield held its breath momentarily as Anthony Gordon silenced the Kop, pointing to his ear after a well-taken 36th-minute goal put Newcastle ahead. But that lead evaporated quickly, thanks to Ekitike. He leveled the score with a poacher's finish, then added a second before halftime, leaving Eddie Howe and the Newcastle faithful stunned.

"The fans love him, and rightly so," Liverpool manager Arne Slot beamed after the match. "From the very start, you could see how special he is, how fast, how clinical." These are the exact qualities that had Newcastle's scouting team salivating over Ekitike for so long. They reportedly tried to sign him no less than three times, including a very recent attempt last summer. Even a crestfallen Eddie Howe had to acknowledge Ekitike's impact.

"Sometimes you have to tip your hat to the opposition," Howe conceded, "while also recognizing we could have defended better. Ekitike is an outstanding player, and you saw that today. He's got a little bit of everything – that's his biggest strength. He's tall, quick, and he can certainly finish." With 15 goals already this season, Ekitike's immediate success isn't exactly a shock to Newcastle; they always believed he had the potential to shine in the Premier League.

Newcastle first tried to snag Ekitike from Reims back in 2022 when he was just 19 and still relatively unknown. While the player apparently held "a lot of respect" for the Magpies' project, he felt a mid-season move wasn't the right fit. When they came knocking again months later, he initially chose Paris St-Germain before ending up at Eintracht Frankfurt. Last summer presented another opportunity, but Liverpool swooped in – also securing the deal for the talented midfielder, Alexander Isak – a double blow for Newcastle. Club legend Shay Given didn't mince words.

"It hurts me from a Newcastle point of view," the former goalkeeper lamented on Match of the Day. "[Ekitike] could be wearing a black-and-white shirt. He's brilliant at stretching defenses. The fact that he's chosen Liverpool… he's been the standout of all their summer signings."

Adding insult to injury, Ekitike became the youngest player to reach double-digit goals for Liverpool in a league season since Michael Owen back in 2000-01. His performance even drew comparisons to Fernando Torres, another beloved former Liverpool striker. Ekitike’s second goal, a near-perfect recreation of Torres’ first for Liverpool against Chelsea in 2007, saw him latch onto Milos Kerkez's ball, outpace his defender, and finish with deadly accuracy.

Steven Gerrard, who provided the assist for Torres' iconic goal against Chelsea, clearly saw the resemblance. "He gets it out of his feet and that toe-poke... He reminds me of Torres every time I watch him." Perhaps Newcastle can take some solace in knowing they recognized his talent early on. But watching him excel at Anfield must be a tough pill to swallow.