Hugo Ekitike made feelings on Steven Gerrard perfectly clear a month before Liverpool move

Liverpool fans are loving the nod incoming striker Hugo Ekitike gave to club legend Steven Gerrard last month. The striker's move to Anfield was confirmed last night, but he made his affinity for the Reds known weeks beforehand.

And that's despite the host of other clubs that were chasing his signature. Manchester United and Chelsea were both linked earlier in the window, before Newcastle took matters into their own hands by sending a formal offer to Eintracht Frankfurt. The bid was turned down by the Bundesliga side and Liverpool quickly swooped in to tie up a £79million package after being informed by Newcastle that their star striker, Alexander Isak, is not for sale.

Ekitike is believed to have completed the main portion of his Liverpool medical on Tuesday before the deal was confirmed last night, which will see the 23-year-old follow in the footsteps of Liverpool legends like Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush and Robbie Fowler.

But Ekitike offered a hint as to who may be his favourite Reds player of all time when, in June, he was snapped in a rare Liverpool third kit from the 1998/99 season which had Gerrard's name emblazoned across the back.

On top of that, it sported the No.28, which Gerrard only wore at the very beginning of his professional career before switching to No.17, and later his iconic No.8.

Gerrard was only just starting to make his name when wearing the kit featured in Ekitike's photos. He played 13 games across all competitions in the 1998/99 campaign, scoring zero goals.

Although Liverpool fans have been lapping up the gesture, Ekitike may have some making up to do with those fully aware of his history, as the Frenchman previously admitted that he grew up as a fan of the club's bitter rivals, Manchester United.

The Red Devils are on the hunt for a striker themselves, and the search is set to intensify now they have completed the signing of Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford. But Ekitike will not be an option as he closes in on a move to Merseyside.

Adding the massive Ekitike fee to moves for Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Giorgi Mamardashvili takes Liverpool's summer spending to almost £300m which, in the transfer window immediately following a dominant title win, doesn't bode well for their Premier League rivals.