Liverpool have reached a full agreement with Eintracht Frankfurt for the transfer of striker Hugo Ekitike in a deal worth up to £79 million.
The Reds will pay a guaranteed £69 million (€80m) for the 23-year-old, with an additional £10 million (€12.5 million) in performance-based add-ons that are dependent on both club and player success.
The deal represents Liverpool’s latest major investment as Arne Slot’s squad overhaul continues ahead of the 2025–26 season title defence.
Ekitike is expected to undergo a medical on Merseyside later this week before travelling to Asia to link up with the Liverpool squad during their pre-season tour of Hong Kong and Japan. The forward has reportedly agreed terms on a six-year contract until 2031 and is poised to become the club’s new first-choice striker.
Frankfurt are understood to have initially valued Ekitike at close to €100 million (£86.5 million), but negotiations led to a compromise with the structure of the deal balancing guaranteed money and achievable bonuses.
The Premier League champions turned to Ekitike after being informed that top target Alexander Isak was not available. Newcastle United made it clear they had no intention of selling the Swedish forward, prompting the Reds to swiftly switch focus to Frankfurt’s star man.
With the deal agreed, the French forward has been given permission to travel from Germany to complete his transfer, with the expectation he will arrive in the UK on Tuesday for a medical.
? Hugo Ekitike has now been given permission to travel.??
– Set to arrive in England on Tuesday
– Will join #LFC on tour of Asia, likely later in the week
– £69m+£10m package. #NUFC bid £70m but never agreed add-ons
– Six-year contracthttps://t.co/at4fLovxAF— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) July 21, 2025
While a large party of players and officials are now in Hong Kong for the first leg of Liverpool’s Far East tour, the club have kept a number of staff at home to complete the signing, including medical staff and sporting director Richard Hughes. Liverpool play AC Milan in Hong Kong on Saturday before moving on to Japan to play Yokohama F Marinos the following Wednesday.
Ekitike, who has made five appearances for the France U21 side but has not been capped at senior level, had been targeted by Newcastle but the Magpies opted not to pursue the transfer after an initial £65 million bid was rejected last week
The 23-year-old comes off the back of a standout campaign in Germany, scoring 22 goals and providing 12 assists in all competitions for Frankfurt, playing a central role in their qualification for the Champions League. His performances earned him a place in the Bundesliga Team of the Season and renewed interest from several top European clubs, including Premier League rivals Manchester United. However, Liverpool’s status as English champions and Champions League football proved decisive.
Sources close to the deal indicate that Ekitike was particularly swayed by the opportunity to play under Arne Slot, whose fast, attacking football has made Liverpool a highly attractive destination for emerging talents. The club’s project, history, and recent silverware helped secure the forward’s preference for Anfield despite tentative interest from other English clubs.
Ekitike’s arrival is set to push the champions summer spending beyond the £250 million mark, following high profile moves for Florian Wirtz (£116m), Jeremie Frimpong (£29m) and Milos Kerkez (£40m). It also marks the third time the reds have recruited directly from the Bundesliga this window, continuing a clear strategy under the club’s revamped recruitment team.
The Frenchman is expected to be the likely replacement for Darwin Núñez, who is among several players expected to depart before the transfer window closes. The futures of Luis Díaz and Harvey Elliott also remain uncertain amid growing interest from clubs across England and Europe.
However, the deal is not without its risks, particularly given Ekitike’s mixed spell in France, but Liverpool believe his blend of pace, technical ability, and movement fits the profile Slot has been seeking in a new number 9. With Liverpool expected to compete on all fronts domestically and in Europe the expectations are sky high following their title winning campaign, bold moves were always expected.
As club captain Virgil van Dijk recently said, “This needed to be a big summer. And you don’t get a big summer without big decisions.”
Liverpool’s pursuit of Ekitike is the latest sign that the club is fully backing Slot’s vision and they’re not finished yet.
