Liverpool have reached an agreement to sign French forward Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal reportedly worth an initial £69 million ($92 million), with an additional £10 million in potential add-ons.
According to reports on Monday, the Reds turned their attention to Ekitike after Newcastle United refused to part ways with Swedish striker Alexander Isak, who is valued at approximately £150 million by the Tyneside club.
Ekitike, 23, had also attracted interest from Newcastle and Manchester United, but Liverpool appear to have won the race for one of Europe’s most promising young attacking talents. The total value of the deal could rise to £79 million.
Once the transfer is finalized, Ekitike is expected to join head coach Arne Slot and the squad for their pre-season tour of Asia.
The Frenchman had an impressive 2023/24 campaign, scoring 22 goals in 48 appearances across all competitions for Frankfurt after his move from Paris Saint-Germain. He was left out of the squad during Frankfurt’s recent pre-season fixture against FSV Frankfurt, with manager Dino Toppmöller describing the striker’s expected departure as “a bitter loss.”
Liverpool’s move for Ekitike comes in the wake of the tragic death of Diogo Jota, who recently passed away in a car accident in Spain. The Reds are also open to offers for Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez, while Colombian winger Luis Díaz has reportedly been the subject of a rejected bid from Bayern Munich.
The signing of Ekitike adds to an already busy transfer window for Liverpool, who have spent £116 million on German playmaker Florian Wirtz and secured defensive reinforcements with the arrivals of Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen and Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth. Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili has also joined from Valencia.
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