Liverpool have reached an agreement to sign striker Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt in a £79 million deal. The transfer includes an initial fee of £69 million plus up to £10 million in performance-related add-ons, with Ekitike set to sign a six-year contract after passing a medical, expected later in the week.

The 23-year-old French striker, who joined Eintracht Frankfurt from Paris Saint-Germain in February 2024, impressed last season by scoring 15 Bundesliga goals in 33 games and 22 goals across all competitions, helping secure Champions League qualification for Frankfurt.

Ekitike was strongly motivated to join Liverpool after discussions with head coach Arne Slot, who outlined his vision for Ekitike as the team’s main No. 9 striker. This transfer comes amid Liverpool’s wide summer recruitment drive, which has already seen nearly £300 million spent on new players including goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and defenders Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, and Florian Wirtz.

The deal represents a clear priority for Liverpool to strengthen their attacking options, as current forwards Darwin Núñez and Federico Chiesa appear likely to depart the club. Ekitike's arrival signals Liverpool’s intent to bolster their frontline ahead of the upcoming season.

Liverpool reach £79m agreement to sign Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt	Liverpool agree Hugo Ekitike transfer as £79m deal with Eintracht Frankfurt confirmed	Eintracht Frankfurt pulls out of transfer after reaching Hugo Ekitike agreement with Liverpool

Eintracht Frankfurt negotiated hard, only sanctioning the sale after Liverpool met the substantial fee, which is below Ekitike’s £86 million buy-out clause but includes add-ons linked to trophies and team success.

After finalizing the agreement, Ekitike is expected to immediately join Liverpool on their preseason tour of Asia. His transfer also includes a 20% sell-on fee to Paris Saint-Germain, amounting to approximately £13.8 million.

Although Ekitike has yet to make his international debut for France, sources suggest that playing in the Premier League could enhance his prospects ahead of the 2026 World Cup.


PP