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Darwin Núñez -- who joined the club from Benfica for an initial £64m in 2022 -- is likely to depart this summer having failed to fill his full potential across his three seasons on Merseyside, while Federico Chiesa looks poised for an exit having been omitted from Liverpool's squad for their preseason tour of Asia.

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Luis Díaz -- who was regularly deployed up front by Slot last season -- also faces an uncertain future amid interest from Bayern Munich, who saw a €67.5m bid (£58.6m) rejected last week.

Of course, the ongoing upheaval surrounding Liverpool's forward line comes against the backdrop of Diogo Jota, who died alongside his brother, André Silva, in a car accident earlier this month.

Last week, Liverpool stepped up their pursuit of a No.9 when they enquired over the availability of Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak.

So how did Liverpool decide he was the man for the job, and what can fans expect from him when he arrives in the Premier League?

"He loves playing for others"

When signing a player, Liverpool are always guided by the data and in Ekitike's case, the statistics made for impressive reading.

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'ESPN FC' crew clash on Liverpool signing Hugo Ekitike

Steve Nicol and Frank Leboeuf disagree on how Hugo Ekitike might fit in the Premier League.

The forward burst onto the scene during the 2021-22 season while playing for French side Reims, whose academy he had joined in 2013.

After scoring 11 goals in 26 games for his boyhood club, Ekitike earned a €35 million move to PSG, initially joining on loan in 2022 before the transfer was made permanent a year later.

During his time in Paris, the forward was given the opportunity to learn alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi, but with opportunities limited after the arrival of new manager Luis Enrique in the summer of 2023, he made the switch to Frankfurt the following February, again joining on loan before signing permanently in 2024.

He is an accomplished dribbler and enjoys creating for his teammates, with one scout from a top European club telling ESPN: "He loves playing for others who love playing for him."

The forward is yet to break into France's senior team, but has five caps for the Under-21 side and is hopeful a productive season at Liverpool will earn him a place in Didier Deschamps' squad for the 2026 World Cup.

Ekitike, 23, was quickly sold on the Liverpool project in discussions with manager Arne Slot, and the club believe he has all the skills required to be star. Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesSlot "masterclass" sealed Ektike's decision

Only a week ago it looked as if Ekitike could be heading to Newcastle.

Newcastle formalised their interest once again this summer and sources told ESPN they were prepared to pay an initial £70m fee, though they had not gotten as far as agreeing add-ons with Frankfurt before Liverpool made their move.

While externally there were suggestions the club's pursuit of the player was part of an elaborate ploy to instead sign Isak from Newcastle, Ekitike has always been one of the leading names on the Reds' shortlist for a new centre-forward.

Ekitike saw himself as the perfect fit, with sources telling ESPN Slot pulled off a "masterclass," prompting the player to prioritise a move to Liverpool despite interest from elsewhere.

There had been some initial concerns over whether Ekitike was ready for such a big move, with parallels being drawn with his switch to PSG three years ago.
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