Liverpool, the reigning Premier League champions, are closing in on a deal to sign striker Hugo Ekitiké from Eintracht Frankfurt as Arne Slot accelerates his summer rebuild ahead of the 2025/26 campaign. Personal terms are in place with the 23‑year‑old, who is prepared to commit to a five‑ or six‑year contract once the clubs agree the final structure of the transfer.
Negotiations have progressed to the point where payment tranches and performance‑related add‑ons are the main items left to settle. If completed on the terms currently being discussed, the move is expected to become the most lucrative sale in Frankfurt’s history, surpassing the €95 million the Bundesliga side banked for Randal Kolo Muani two summers ago. It would also rank among the largest fees Liverpool have invested in a centre‑forward.
Liverpool’s push for Ekitiké gathered pace after exploratory talks over Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak failed to produce a breakthrough earlier in the window. Ekitiké had also featured on Newcastle’s contingency list had Isak departed, underlining the Frenchman’s high standing among recruitment departments across Europe.
Frankfurt landed Ekitiké from Paris Saint‑Germain just a year ago for about €17.5 million and reaped immediate dividends. Deployed across the front line but especially effective through the middle, he delivered 22 goals and 12 assists in all competitions, blending penalty‑box instincts with selfless pressing and link play.
Integration plans at Kirkby are already being mapped out, with coaching staff excited by the prospect of pairing Ekitiké’s movement with the creative supply lines of Wirtz and the pace from Liverpool’s wide channels. The expectation is that he would compete immediately for minutes across the front three while offering developmental runway over the length of his contract.
Slot views Ekitiké as a multi‑functional No 9 capable of rotating with Liverpool’s wide forwards, stretching defences in transition and supplying depth across a crowded calendar that will include domestic challenges, Europe, and a forthcoming expanded Club World Cup. His potential arrival would follow an already assertive window at Anfield that has brought in Florian Wirtz (fee rising toward €125m), Milos Kerkez (€47m) and Jeremie Frimpong (€40m).
Liverpool are intent on turning last season’s triumph into the club’s first back‑to‑back English top‑flight titles since 1984. Securing Ekitiké would add firepower, tactical flexibility and long‑term upside to that ambition. A final decision is expected by Monday, or soon after.
