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Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike for an initial fee of £69 million ($92 million), as reported on Monday.
The Premier League champions redirected their attention to Ekitike after Newcastle declined to sell Swedish striker Alexander Isak, who is rated at about £150 million by the Magpies. Both Newcastle and Manchester United showed interest in Ekitike, but it seems Liverpool is poised to secure one of Europe’s most promising young talents.
Reports suggest that the Reds have agreed to pay an additional £10 million in potential add-ons, bringing the total cost of signing the 23-year-old French player to £79 million.
Once the transfer is finalised, Ekitike will join Arne Slot’s squad during their pre-season tour of Asia.
Last season, Ekitike netted 22 goals in 48 matches in all competitions for Frankfurt after making the move from Paris Saint-Germain.
He remained an unused substitute in his team’s recent pre-season match against FSV Frankfurt on Saturday, with Eintracht manager Dino Toppmoller acknowledging that Ekitike’s forthcoming exit is “a bitter loss.”
Liverpool finds themselves needing to fill a void in their attack following the tragic passing of Diogo Jota in a car accident in Spain.
The Reds are also said to be open to offloading Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez, while Colombian forward Luis Diaz has faced a rejected bid from Bayern Munich.
Liverpool has already invested £116 million in German midfielder Florian Wirtz and also added defenders Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez from Bayer Leverkusen and Bournemouth, respectively.
Additionally, Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili has joined Arne Slot’s team after completing his transfer from Valencia in 2024.
