“It’s going to be tough…”: Liverpool ace opens up on Reds signing another player in his position

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Liverpool have completed the signing of French forward Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal reportedly worth around £69 million, potentially rising to £79 million with add-ons. The 23-year-old striker has impressed with 26 goals in 64 appearances for Frankfurt, earning a spot in the Bundesliga Team of the Season for 2024-25. He initially joined Frankfurt on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in February 2024 before making the move permanent. Ekitike has also played 33 times for PSG and won a Ligue 1 title with them.

This transfer was highly contested, with Newcastle United having been close to signing Ekitike before Liverpool interceded and secured his signature. His versatility as a center-forward who can also operate in a secondary striker role or wide positions fits well with Liverpool manager Arne Slot’s attacking style. Ekitike's agent revealed that a deal was nearly finalized with Newcastle, but after Liverpool approached the player, he opted for Anfield instead.

Ekitike follows other summer signings such as Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, and Giorgi Mamardashvili as Liverpool revamp their squad. He is expected to join the team's preseason tour in Hong Kong shortly. Liverpool see him as a young talent with significant growth potential, comparing him favorably in data analytics terms to other top young forwards like Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé. Frankfurt’s sporting director praised the move as a strong endorsement of their club’s ability to develop promising players.

Paris Saint-Germain will receive 20% of the transfer fee due to a clause from when Frankfurt signed Ekitike. With this signing, Liverpool have effectively strengthened their forward options, complementing the recent acquisition of Alexander Isak, who had been another key target for Newcastle before moving to Liverpool.

PP