Liverpool have officially completed the signing of French striker Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal worth up to £79 million.
The 23-year-old underwent a medical in London on Tuesday before putting pen to paper on a six-year contract with the Premier League champions. The Reds will pay an initial £69m for the forward with a further £10m in performance-related add-ons, taking the full potential value of the transfer close to £79m, and becomes the third most expensive signing in the club’s history.
Ekitike is now set to fly out to Hong Kong to link up with his new teammates on Liverpool’s ten day pre-season tour of Asia. While he could be in line to make his unofficial debut in Saturday’s friendly against AC Milan at the Kai Tak Stadium, a more realistic target for his first appearance in red is likely to come next week when the Arne Slot’s men face Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan.
We have reached an agreement for the transfer of Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike, subject to international clearance ?
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 23, 2025
The France Under-21 international arrives on the back of a highly productive season in the Bundesliga, having scored 22 goals and provided 12 assists in all competitions, and becomes Liverpool’s seventh signing of an ambitious summer window as the club continues to build under new manager Arne Slot. Ekitike’s shirt number will be confirmed later this summer.
The Guardian says Anfield officials are confident Hugo Ekitike can become one of the finest forwards in the game should his recent progress with Eintracht be maintained.
June saw the arrivals of Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez, while goalkeepers Armin Pecsi and Freddie Woodman also joined the club. Giorgi Mamardashvili, whose £29m deal with Valencia was finalised last year, was also officially unveiled. Ekitike’s signing brings Liverpool’s summer spending close to the £300m mark.
Liverpool moved decisively in the race for Ekitike, seeing off interest from a number of top clubs including Manchester United and Chelsea. Talks accelerated over the weekend, with the framework of the deal agreed on Saturday and the final details ironed out on Monday.
Internally, the structure of the deal is viewed similarly to the one that brought Florian Wirtz to Anfield, with success-based clauses that reflect the club’s belief in Ekitike’s long-term impact.
While Ekitike’s arrival is a major statement of intent, Liverpool are not done yet. The club remains active in the transfer market and continues to explore options to further strengthen the squad ahead of the new season and defend their Premier League crown.
