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Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike.(Image: GSI/Icon Sport via Getty Images)

Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike has sent a message to one of his teammates as Liverpool battle for his signature.

The Reds have opened talks with the Bundesliga club over a potential move for the Frenchman.

Newcastle United saw their bid rejected by the German outfit earlier this week following talks over the 22-year-old.



The former Paris Saint-Germain talisman was among the leading targets to revamp Arne Slot's strike options alongside Magpies star Alexander Isak.

However, the North East club have remained firm that the Sweden international is not for sale despite Liverpool willing to make an offer in excess of £100million.

The Magpies had a €80million (£69.4m) bid rejected by Frankfurt as Dino Toppmoller's side want around €100m (£86.7m).

Now, Liverpool have swooped in and are in dialogue with the Champions League contenders over a move for the French prospect.

The Liverpool ECHO reported earlier today that the Reds had agreed personal terms with Ekitike, with talks ongoing about the structure of the deal.

With the transfer saga surrounding Ekitike bubbling, he appeared to be calm regarding his future ahead of a proposed move to Anfield and sent a message to his club teammate Robin Koch as he celebrated his 29th birthday.

In a story to his Instagram, he said: "Happy birthday brother @robinkoch."

Hugo Ekitike posted to his Instagram story as the transfer saga surrounding his future unfolded.(Image: hekitike/Instagram)

Liverpool are pushing to sign a centre forward this summer and the Reds want at least one through the door, the ECHO understands.

Darwin Nunez is expected to leave Anfield, despite making a goalscoring return to pre-season during their 3-1 win over Preston North End on Sunday.

The Uruguayan has faced uncertainty surrounding his future after enduring a difficult period at Anfield.

Reports suggest that Napoli have ended their pursuit in the 26-year-old, with speculation claiming that their pursuit of Udinese striker Lorenzo Lucca and progression in talks for the Italian have meant they cooled their interest in Nunez.

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Luis Diaz has also been the target of interest from both Barcelona and Bayern Munich, the latter saw their first official bid rejected this week.

However, Vincent Kompany's side are expected to return to the table with an improved offer after their previous £58.6million offer was dismissed.


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