Liverpool have reportedly reached an agreement to sign Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike in a deal worth an initial £69 million, with a further £10 million in potential add-ons, bringing the total fee to £79 million.
According to reports on Monday, the Premier League champions turned their attention to the 23-year-old French forward after Newcastle United refused to part with Swedish striker Alexander Isak, who is valued at around £150 million.
Ekitike, considered one of Europe’s top young attacking prospects, is expected to join Arne Slot’s squad during their pre-season tour of Asia once the deal is finalized. He had an impressive campaign with Frankfurt last season, netting 22 goals in 48 appearances after moving from Paris Saint-Germain.
The Frenchman was left out of Frankfurt’s pre-season friendly against FSV Frankfurt on Saturday. Head coach Dino Toppmöller described his exit as “a bitter loss,” acknowledging the impact of the transfer on the Bundesliga side.
Liverpool’s move for Ekitike comes amid a reshuffle in their forward ranks following the tragic death of Diogo Jota in a car accident in Spain. The Reds are also open to selling Darwin Nunez, while Bayern Munich recently had a bid rejected for winger Luis Diaz.
Ekitike becomes the latest addition to Arne Slot’s new-look squad, joining a busy summer window that has already seen Liverpool spend £116 million on Germany international Florian Wirtz and secure defenders Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez from Bayer Leverkusen and Bournemouth respectively. Goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili has also arrived from Valencia.
