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Hugo Ekitike is not playing for France at the European Under-21 Championship because of a back injury(Image: Icon Sport via Getty Images)

Hugo Ekitike is reportedly a striker who Liverpool are in the race to sign this summer transfer window.

Chelsea are the other club consistently credited with an interest in the Eintracht Frankfurt centre-forward.

However, the Reds are reputedly ahead of their Premier League rivals regarding their pursuit of the player.



Arsenal and Manchester United are also linked with Ekitike but appear to prefer other strikers, namely Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres.

Eintracht wanting €100million (£85 million) for the 22-year-old is seemingly when neither are in contention anymore.

The Blues are also said to be put off by that high valuation.

Ben Jacobs of GiveMeSport mentioned on Wednesday, while appearing on Kings of the Bridge, that the Reds, rather than Chelsea, are "really there" regarding Ekitike.

The club will reputedly assess whether they do during the Club World Cup.

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However, any hopes Liverpool have of Eintracht reducing their asking price appear unlikely.

Sky Germany relays that their chief executive, Markus Krosche, has recently spoken about their stance on the player's future.

He has reputedly told the regional German newspaper Wiesbadener Kurier: "If the price isn't right, then he'll just stay with us; we don't have to sell Hugo." Ekitike, to that point, is under contract until the summer of 2029 after signing a five-year deal when joining the Bundesliga club permanently from Paris Saint-Germain last year.

Those comments are notably more bullish than remarks made after the club's final match of the Bundesliga season.
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