Liverpool Nears £69m Hugo Ekitike Transfer From Frankfurt

Liverpool is finalizing the signing of French forward Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal reportedly worth an initial £69 million with potential add-ons raising the fee to around £78-82 million. The 23-year-old striker is expected to sign a six-year contract running until 2031 and is scheduled to undergo a medical in Liverpool soon, with plans for him to join the squad's pre-season tour in Hong Kong and Japan. This transfer will bring Liverpool’s summer spending close to £300 million, marking Ekitike as the seventh new arrival following several high-profile signings. Eintracht Frankfurt coach Dino Toppmoller confirmed Ekitike's likely departure and praised his outstanding performance last season with 22 goals and 12 assists in 48 matches. Liverpool is also planning to offset their spending through player sales, with uncertainty surrounding the futures of Darwin Núñez, Luis Díaz, and others. Manager Arne Slot is already looking ahead to future transfer targets even as the club prepares to integrate Ekitike into the squad for their Premier League title defense.