Liverpool, the reigning Premier League champions, have secured a complete agreement with Eintracht Frankfurt to sign French forward Hugo Ekitike in a transfer valued at £79 million (€91 million).
Ekitike is set to arrive in the UK on Tuesday to undergo a medical examination and finalize a six-year deal with the club.
Liverpool reportedly retained a group of staff in the UK to ensure the completion of the transfer. Once finalized, the striker will travel to Asia to join his new teammates for their pre-season tour later this week.
The 22-year-old becomes Liverpool’s fifth major acquisition of the summer, following the arrivals of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, and Giorgi Mamardashvili.
His signing brings the club’s total summer spending to £289 million, with speculation suggesting that further signings could still be on the horizon.
Just last week, Newcastle United had a £70 million bid for Ekitike turned down, falling £16 million short of his release clause.
Liverpool have also shown interest in Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, but that pursuit appears uncertain in light of the substantial investment in Ekitike.
Ekitike scored 22 goals in 48 appearances across all competitions for Frankfurt last season, including 15 in the Bundesliga, earning him a spot in the Bundesliga Team of the Season.
Prior to his time in Germany, Ekitike was with Paris Saint-Germain, initially joining on loan from Reims before signing permanently. However, he only featured 33 times for PSG and netted four goals before departing.
