Liverpool have reportedly secured the signing of Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike in a deal worth an initial £69 million ($92 million), with potential add-ons pushing the total package to £79 million.
The move comes after the Reds were priced out of a move for Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, who was valued at £150 million.
The 23-year-old French striker, who scored 22 goals in 48 appearances across all competitions for Frankfurt last season, was left out of Saturday’s friendly against FSV Frankfurt. Eintracht manager Dino Toppmoller described Ekitike’s imminent departure as “a bitter loss” for the Bundesliga side.
Newcastle and Manchester United had both shown interest in Ekitike, but Liverpool appear to have won the race for one of Europe’s most promising young attackers. Once finalized, the transfer will see Ekitike join Arne Slot’s squad during their pre-season tour of Asia.
The deal addresses Liverpool’s urgent need for attacking reinforcements following the tragic death of Diogo Jota in a car accident in Spain. The club is also reportedly open to offers for Darwin Núñez, while Luis Díaz has attracted interest from Bayern Munich.
This marks Liverpool’s second major signing of the summer after their £116 million acquisition of Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz. The Reds have also bolstered their defense with Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen) and Milos Kerkez (Bournemouth), while goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili joined from Valencia.
Ekitike’s arrival signals Liverpool’s ambitious rebuild under Slot, with the Frenchman expected to compete for a starting role alongside Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah in the new-look attack. The transfer could be officially announced within days as Liverpool prepare for their pre-season matches in Thailand and Singapore.
