How Hugo Ekitike ended up at Liverpool, and what they're getting

For Hugo Ekitike, the determination was easy. From the infinitesimal helium spoke with Liverpool caput manager Arne Slot astir his plans for the play ahead, the France younker planetary was wholly sold connected a determination to Anfield.

Of course, determination was inactive plentifulness of enactment to beryllium done down the scenes. Eintracht Frankfurt -- the nine Ekitike joined permanently successful a €17.5million woody from Paris Saint-Germain past summertime -- are adept negotiators and would lone authorisation the exit of their prima guardant if 1 of his galore suitors tabled a important bid. On Monday, Liverpool did conscionable that, agreeing to wage Frankfurt an archetypal £69m interest positive a further £10m successful performance-related add-ons to unafraid Ekitike's signature.

It is simply a immense determination for the 23-year-old and different connection of intent from the Premier League champions, whose different signings this summertime see Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, Bournemouth defender Milos Kerkez and Bayer Leverkusen duo Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz.

In spite of specified dense spending, signing a caller centre-forward has ever featured highly connected Liverpool's database of priorities. Darwin Núñez -- who joined the nine from Benfica for an archetypal £64m successful 2022 -- is apt to depart this summertime having failed to capable his afloat imaginable crossed his 3 seasons connected Merseyside, portion Federico Chiesa looks poised for an exit having been omitted from Liverpool's squad for their preseason circuit of Asia.

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Luis Díaz -- who was regularly deployed up beforehand by Slot past play -- besides faces an uncertain aboriginal amid involvement from Bayern Munich, who saw a €67.5m bid (£58.6m) rejected past week.

Of course, the ongoing upheaval surrounding Liverpool's guardant enactment comes against the backdrop of Diogo Jota, who died alongside his brother, André Silva, successful a car mishap earlier this month.

Last week, Liverpool stepped up their pursuit of a No.9 erstwhile they enquired implicit the availability of Newcastle United guardant Alexander Isak. The 25-year-old Sweden planetary has agelong been viewed arsenic the club's imagination centre-forward people nevertheless Newcastle person truthful acold maintained their stance that the subordinate is not for sale.

Just 23, Ekitike lacks Isak's polish, but determination is content among Liverpool's decision-makers that helium has each the ingredients to make into 1 of the champion strikers successful Europe. So however did Liverpool determine helium was the antheral for the job, and what tin fans expect from him erstwhile helium arrives successful the Premier League?

"He loves playing for others"

When signing a player, Liverpool are ever guided by the information and successful Ekitike's case, the statistic made for awesome reading.

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'ESPN FC' unit clash connected Liverpool signing Hugo Ekitike

Steve Nicol and Frank Leboeuf disagree connected however Hugo Ekitike mightiness acceptable successful the Premier League.

The guardant burst onto the country during the 2021-22 play portion playing for French broadside Reims, whose academy helium had joined successful 2013. After scoring 11 goals successful 26 games for his boyhood club, Ekitike earned a €35 cardinal determination to PSG, initially joining connected indebtedness successful 2022 earlier the transportation was made imperishable a twelvemonth later.

During his clip successful Paris, the guardant was fixed the accidental to larn alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi, but with opportunities constricted aft the accomplishment of caller manager Luis Enrique successful the summertime of 2023, helium made the power to Frankfurt the pursuing February, again joining connected indebtedness earlier signing permanently successful 2024. The determination proved a resounding success, and past play was a stellar 1 for Ekitike, who registered 22 goals and 12 assists successful 48 games for the Bundesliga side.

Standing astatine 6-foot-2, the Frenchman is an imposing figure, susceptible of playing successful a assortment of positions crossed the beforehand line. At Frankfurt, helium shone playing successful a beforehand 2 alongside Omar Marmoush earlier the latter's £59m determination to Manchester City successful January. In the lack of the Egypt international, Ekitike proved himself susceptible of excelling arsenic a lone striker, with enactment from the likes of Farès Chaïbi and Mario Götze down him. There is anticipation helium could person a akin narration astatine Liverpool with Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Wirtz.

Ekitike is successful immoderate ways the archetypal modern No.9. and inactive has plentifulness of country for improvement. For example, helium yielded 15 goals from an expected goals (xG) worth of 21.6 successful the Bundesliga past term, taking 117 shots -- much than immoderate different subordinate successful the division. If he's capable to further hone his finishing astatine Anfield, helium could beryllium a scary imaginable for Premier League defenders.

Stylistically, Ekitike profiles likewise to chap Liverpool people Isak -- they are some gangly and pacy with fantabulous method -- but models himself connected Real Madrid fable Karim Benzema, whose occurrence helium hopes to emulate successful the years ahead. He is an accomplished dribbler and enjoys creating for his teammates, with 1 scout from a apical European nine telling ESPN: "He loves playing for others who emotion playing for him."

The guardant is yet to interruption into France's elder team, but has 5 caps for the Under-21 broadside and is hopeful a productive play astatine Liverpool volition gain him a spot successful Didier Deschamps' squad for the 2026 World Cup.

Slot "masterclass" sealed Ektike's decision

Only a week agone it looked arsenic if Ekitike could beryllium heading to Newcastle. The Tyneside nine archetypal tried to motion the striker portion helium was inactive astatine Reims successful 2022 and person continued to show him since. Newcastle formalised their involvement erstwhile again this summertime and sources told ESPN they were prepared to wage an archetypal £70m fee, though they had not gotten arsenic acold arsenic agreeing add-ons with Frankfurt earlier Liverpool made their move.

While externally determination were suggestions the club's pursuit of the subordinate was portion of an elaborate ploy to alternatively motion Isak from Newcastle, Ekitike has ever been 1 of the starring names connected the Reds' shortlist for a caller centre-forward. Liverpool sporting manager Richard Hughes, main scout Barry Hunter and Michael Edwards (the CEO of Football for owners Fenway Sports Group) person been pursuing his advancement for months, with Hughes having admired the subordinate during his clip arsenic method manager astatine Bournemouth.

Sources told ESPN the nine archetypal made interaction with the player's campy successful March earlier talks began successful earnest past week. It is understood Slot held a Zoom telephone with Ekitike, during which the Liverpool caput manager elaborate his request for a mobile and dynamic No.9 who could harvester brilliance connected the shot with tenacity and quality disconnected it. Ekitike saw himself arsenic the cleanable fit, with sources telling ESPN Slot pulled disconnected a "masterclass," prompting the subordinate to prioritise a determination to Liverpool contempt involvement from elsewhere.

There had been immoderate archetypal concerns implicit whether Ekitike was acceptable for specified a large move, with parallels being drawn with his power to PSG 3 years ago. But with Ekitike having learnt from that acquisition and developed enormously implicit the past fewer seasons, determination is simply a present a assurance among each parties that the clip is close for this adjacent step.

Negotiations continued implicit the weekend, but erstwhile Ekitike was near retired of the Frankfurt's squad for Saturday's affable with FSV Frankfurt, it seemed similar the penning was connected the wall. "He didn't play, but you tin ideate everything else," manager Dino Toppmoller told Sky Sports Germany erstwhile quizzed connected Ekitike's lack aft the game.

"This is simply a bitter loss. We mislaid our implicit apical subordinate successful the wintertime with Omar Marmoush. The different subordinate stepped successful and developed sensationally. It's rather imaginable that that's history, too."

But Frankfurt's nonaccomplishment is Liverpool's gain, with the subordinate present acceptable to motion a six-year woody astatine Anfield. Sources told ESPN the guardant is expected to implicit his aesculapian successful the UK connected Tuesday earlier flying retired to nexus up with Slot's squad successful Hong Kong aboriginal this week, wherever helium volition beryllium fixed the accidental to settee successful with his caller teammates up of the caller season.

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Hugo Ekitike's champion goals and assistance for Frankfurt

As his determination to Liverpool looks imminent ESPN instrumentality a look backmost astatine immoderate of Hugo Ekitike's goals and assists from past season.

Liverpool continuing "big summer"

Liverpool person ne'er shown overmuch involvement successful "winning" the transportation window. After their Champions League triumph successful 2019, their lone signings were teenage duo Sepp van den Berg and Harvey Elliott -- from PEC Zwolle and Fulham respectively -- positive back-up goalkeepers Adrian San Miguel and Andy Lonergan. Liverpool's perceived nonaccomplishment to importantly fortify portion connected apical sparked vexation successful immoderate quarters of the fanbase, but that strategy was vindicated the pursuing play erstwhile Jurgen Klopp's broadside won the club's archetypal league rubric successful 30 years.

After Klopp's departure past summer, the lone summation to the squad was Chiesa successful a £12.5m transportation from Juventus. Once again, Liverpool's deficiency of enactment successful the marketplace raised eyebrows, but Slot was blessed with the squad helium had inherited, and his squad went connected to triumph the rubric astatine a canter past term. Still, for months determination has been a increasing consciousness that this would beryllium a summertime of alteration astatine Anfield.

"I deliberation Liverpool should beryllium capable to situation for titles successful the upcoming years," skipper Virgil van Dijk said backmost successful April. "Whatever happens successful presumption of players going out, players coming in, I deliberation it should beryllium a large summer. I deliberation they're readying to marque it a large summer, truthful we each person to spot the board, arsenic a Liverpool connected fan, to bash the close job."

So far, the Liverpool committee person not disappointed, acting decisively successful the marketplace to bring successful players with the quality to marque Slot's title-winning squad better. The signing of Wirtz successful peculiar signals the club's tendency to physique a dynasty nether the Dutchman; 1 that sees them continually competing for the game's biggest prizes.

The Reds saw disconnected involvement from Bayern Munich and Manchester City to onshore Wirtz's signature, agreeing an archetypal £100m woody with Leverkusen successful June. Should the afloat scope of performance-related add-ons (worth £16m) beryllium met, Wirtz volition go a British grounds signing, surpassing Chelsea's £115m determination for midfielder Moisés Caicedo successful 2023.

But portion Liverpool's escaped spending has taken galore by surprise, their dense concern this summertime has lone been made imaginable by the subject shown successful erstwhile windows and with nary imminent information of breaching Profitability and Sustainability (PSR) rules, determination whitethorn inactive beryllium much to come. Liverpool are successful the marketplace for different halfway backmost pursuing Jarell Quansah's £35m transportation to Leverkusen, with Crystal Palace defender Marc Guéhi 1 of the options being considered. Should Diaz depart, whether to Bayern oregon elsewhere, the nine could besides look to bring successful different wide guardant earlier the model closes.

While outsiders whitethorn consciousness Liverpool's enactment this summertime doesn't align with their accustomed cautious approach, the Reds person ne'er shied distant from spending large erstwhile the accidental presents itself to bring successful a game-changing talent. The nine did conscionable that erstwhile they signed Van Dijk from Southampton successful January 2018 and goalkeeper Alisson Becker from AS Roma the pursuing summer.

If Ekitike goes connected to person a akin interaction astatine Anfield, it volition beryllium wealth precise good spent.