What the Ek? It is precisely zero surprise to see that while everyone else has ignored the obviously daft suggestion that Hugo Ekitike has handed in a transfer request to ‘force through’ a move which is going to happen anyway, a handful of certain publications are not only willing but entirely desperate to disregard any such red flags.

They add that Liverpool have even signalled to Frankfurt that they would be willing to pay their €100m (£86.6m) asking price, with an offer in that region now expected as the Bundesliga outfit target Franjo Ivanovic of Union Saint-Gilloise as his replacement and Ritsu Doan also arriving from Freiburg.