Richard Hughes transfer talks on Crete beach revealed – How official sealed Liverpool transfer

Liverpool transfer chief Richard Hughes completed the deal for Hugo Ekitiké this summer on a beach in Crete.

That’s according to Sport BILD, who provide the background details of the €95m transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt today.

They say that the largest deal in the German club’s history was finalised in neither Frankfurt nor Liverpool. Instead, it was done on the Greek holiday island of Crete.

According to the newspaper, it just so happened that Hughes and Eintracht’s sporting director Markus Krösche were vacationing with their families in Crete when talks for Ekitike ‘really heated up’.

That gave them a unique opportunity to deal with the transfer and ‘between the pool and the beach’, they got it sort. Liverpool’s first offer of €80m, was sent via email. Frankfurt declined this but both parties knew a deal would be done.

Ironically, despite being on the same island, Hughes and Krösche were on opposite sides of the island. That meant they limited their contacts to phone calls and emails. There was actually no need to meet in person as the transfer deal was never in risk of failing. They would have met if that was the case.

“We had a clear agreement with Hugo, just as we did with Omar Marmoush, that we would find solutions if he wanted to take the step. We found them together with Liverpool in a highly professional and quiet manner,” Krösche explained.

Frankfurt eventually accepted Liverpool’s third written offer. That was worth €90m plus €5m in bonuses. The ‘Crete deal’ was finalised and became official on July 23rd.

Interestingly Liverpool’s offer was not the most lucrative that arrived. Al-Hilal offered over €100m but Ekitiké was ‘desperate to go to Anfield’. He eventually go his way, perhaps thanks to those negotiations taking place in Crete.