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Liverpool have confirmed the signing of French forward Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal reportedly worth £69 million, as the Premier League champions continue their high-profile recruitment drive this summer.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Merseyside club announced that the 23-year-old had passed his medical and agreed personal terms, enabling him to link up with his new teammates on their pre-season tour in Hong Kong later this week.
The transfer of Ekitike pushes Liverpool’s total spending this summer beyond £250 million. The Reds turned their attention to the France Under-21 international after being priced out of a move for Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, who is valued at around £150 million by the Magpies.
Ekitike, who was also attracting interest from Manchester United and Newcastle, ultimately chose Liverpool in what is seen as a major coup for the Anfield club. The deal could rise to £79 million with an additional £10 million in performance-related bonuses.
The striker enjoyed a standout season at Frankfurt, scoring 22 goals in 48 appearances across all competitions. His performances earned him a place in the Bundesliga Team of the Season as Frankfurt secured a third-place finish in the German top flight.
Ekitike arrives at Liverpool during a transitional period for the club’s attack. The tragic death of Portuguese forward Diogo Jota in a car accident in Spain has left a void in the squad, while Uruguay’s Darwin Núñez is reportedly available for transfer. Colombian winger Luis Díaz has also been the subject of interest from Bayern Munich, though Liverpool turned down an offer from the German giants.
Liverpool have already spent £116 million to secure German playmaker Florian Wirtz and further bolstered their defence with the signings of Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez. Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili has also joined the club from Valencia.
Ekitike began his professional career at Reims and had a short loan spell in Denmark in 2021 before joining Paris Saint-Germain. Despite limited opportunities alongside stars like Messi, Mbappé and Neymar, he won a Ligue 1 title with PSG before moving to Frankfurt, initially on loan.
Eintracht’s sporting director Markus Krösche praised Ekitike’s development, stating: “Hugo has improved tremendously in his 18 months with us and has been a real asset to our team and the club as a whole. We’re pleased he now gets the chance to take this next step — it’s a move he’s earned.”
