Liverpool Sign Hugo Ekitiké In £79m Deal After Fending Off Late Manchester United Bid

Ekitiké was a longstanding target for Liverpool, contempt their liking successful Newcastle centre-forward Alexander Isak, and interaction was first made pinch nan 23-year-old’s representatives successful January. Arne Slot past outlined his plans for nan striker successful a telephone astatine nan extremity of past season.

Newcastle made a move for Ekitiké past week aft missing retired connected Liam Delap and João Pedro but their £70m bid was rejected by Eintracht and nan subordinate made it clear his penchant was to subordinate Liverpool. United besides received nan aforesaid accusation erstwhile they made a last-minute effort to hijack nan deal. United’s head of recruitment, Christopher Vivell, is believed to person contacted Eintracht’s sporting head Markus Krosche complete a imaginable transportation but Ekitiké was already group connected Anfield.

Ekitiké scored 22 goals and made 12 assists successful his 1 and only play astatine Frankfurt, helping nan nine suffice for nan Champions League, and while chiefly a No 9 Liverpool judge he tin besides run arsenic a 2nd striker aliases retired wide. He is perchance nan 3rd astir costly signing successful Liverpool’s history down Florian Wirtz and Darwin Núñez. Anfield officials are assured he tin go 1 of nan finest forwards successful nan crippled should his caller advancement pinch Eintracht beryllium maintained.

The woody for Ekitiké takes Liverpool’s summertime spending to almost £300m. The erstwhile Paris Saint-Germain subordinate is nan club’s seventh signing of nan window, pursuing connected from Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and a trio of goalkeepers: Giorgi Mamardashvili, Armin Pecsi and Freddie Woodman.