Richard Hughes to repeat Hugo Ekitike trick with deal for £64m forward | OneFootball

Liverpool have made a habit out of thwarting Newcastle’s business in the transfer market.

Last summer Hugo Ekitike was apparently close to a move to the Toon before Richard Hughes swooped in for a deal worth around an initial £69m.

And during the FIFA World Cup it emerged that the Geordies were wrapping up a deal for Spanish dynamo Victor Munoz.

It did not take long for the Reds’ sporting director to strike again though - stealing in at the last minute and triggering his £34m Osasuna release clause.

Liverpool looking to beat Newcastle to Matias Fernandez-Pardo

And now according to transfer reporter Nicolo Schira Andoni Iraola’s side are determined to do it all over again.

Because Liverpool are in the race with the North East outfit to sign Lille forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo.

The Belgian, 21, looks set to move on from Lille this summer - the club he joined from Gent in 2024. He would provide a high-quality, versatile option for Iraola should he go on to lose Cody Gakpo to Manchester City.

Lille want €75m for Fernandez-Pardo

However a deal would not come cheap for the forward with Lille standing firm on a €75m (£65m) valuation.

“Newcastle and Liverpool are in the race to sign Matias Fernandez Pardo (born in 2005),” he writes on X.

“Lille ask €75M to sell him.”

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Matias Fernández-Pardo: Situation summary

Matias Fernández-Pardo’s situation at Lille has developed into a clear end-of-window stand-off, with the 21-year-old forward seeking a move while the club, who previously maintained he was not for sale, have excluded him from first-team training and selection until the market closes.

Davide Ancelotti’s decision is understood to have been taken with the club’s backing, and it reflects a transfer dispute rather than a fitness issue.

Newcastle United have been the most persistent reported suitors, with bids and a potential final offer discussed in the region of €60m (£51m), though Lille are believed to value Fernández-Pardo closer to €70m (£60m); Atlético Madrid and RB Leipzig have also been linked, while Liverpool’s reported contact currently appears exploratory rather than a formal approach.

Lille retain strong leverage because Fernández-Pardo is under contract until 2029, but his exclusion signals that relations have worsened and leaves a late agreement increasingly plausible if a buying club gets close enough to the club’s valuation.