Liverpool has reportedly reached an agreement to sign French striker Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt.
The initial deal, according to reports, is valued at £69m, with an additional £10m in performance-based add-ons, bringing the potential total to £79m.
Naija News reports that the Premier League club turned their attention to the 23-year-old after Newcastle United ruled out the sale of their highly-rated forward, Alexander Isak, who the Magpies have slapped with a staggering £150m price tag.
Ekitike, one of Europe’s most sought-after young forwards, was also on the radar of Premier League rivals Newcastle and Manchester United.
However, the Reds are now set to win the race as the player prepares to link up with manager Arne Slot’s squad for their pre-season tour of Asia.
The Frenchman netted 22 goals in 48 appearances across all competitions for Frankfurt last season, following his switch from Paris Saint-Germain.
Ekitike’s absence from Eintracht Frankfurt’s pre-season friendly against FSV Frankfurt over the weekend signaled his imminent exit.
Reacting to the development, Frankfurt manager Dino Toppmoller described the striker’s departure as a blow.
“It’s a bitter loss for us, no doubt. But we wish him the very best as he takes the next step in his career,” SkySports quoted Toppmoller as saying.
Liverpool’s need for reinforcements in attack has intensified following the tragic death of Portuguese forward Diogo Jota in a car crash in Spain.
With Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez reportedly up for sale and Colombia winger Luis Diaz subject to a failed bid from Bayern Munich, the Reds are undergoing a significant reshuffle in their frontline.
Ekitike’s acquisition adds to Liverpool’s growing list of summer signings, as the club rebuilds under Dutch tactician Arne Slot.
It is worth noting that the Merseyside giants have already spent £116m to land Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz and brought in defenders Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez from Bayer Leverkusen and Bournemouth, respectively.
Additionally, Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili completed his switch from Valencia at the close of last season.
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