Liverpool Confirm Signing of Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt

Liverpool have officially announced the signing of French striker Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt on a six-year deal. The 23-year-old forward’s transfer is worth up to €95 million (£82m/$99m), which represents the largest sale in Eintracht Frankfurt’s history, as confirmed by reports.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Ekitike‘s transfer to Liverpool consisted of an €80m (£69m/$84m) fixed fee, €10m (£8.6m/$10m) easily achievable add-ons and an additional €5m (£4m/$5m) in tougher bonuses. The France international has joined the Reds after a stellar season with Eintracht Frankfurt, for whom he scored 22 goals and provided 12 assists in 48 appearances across all competitions in 2024-25, as well as being named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season. Liverpool swooped for Ekitike after seeing a bid from Newcastle United rejected; the Germans had previously set an £80 million price tag for him according to reports, and have completed a deal to bring him to Anfield just as the club depart for their pre-season tour of Asia.

PERFORMANCE AND TEAM CONTEXT

Liverpool, the reigning Premier League champions, will look to build on what was a very successful 2024-25 campaign, during which they sat at the top of the table for extended periods of time and ended up finishing a staggering 10 points clear of Arsenal in second place as recent reports indicate. They have been among the most active clubs in the transfer market this summer, with Ekitike’s arrival being one of the several marquee additions to have been made in terms of first-team strengthening, following the likes of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Milos Kerkez to Merseyside. The Frenchman has linked up with a team that now has both quality and depth in attack, with Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo already in the fold, with Nunez and Diaz expected to leave the team by the end of the transfer window, with Ekitike set to bolster that “firepower” even further, as new manager Arne Slot’s troops seemingly look primed to continue excelling in all competitions.

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE NEW SEASON

Ekitike is set to join the Liverpool first team on pre-season imminently as he travels to Asia with the squad to allow him to integrate with his teammates before the new season begins in earnest next month. The Reds will begin competitive proceedings with the Community Shield clash on August 4, where they face last season’s FA Cup winners, Crystal Palace, before taking on Kerkez’s previous team, Bournemouth, for the initial matchday of the season in the Premier League. Slot has already strengthened his squad, and is likely to continue doing so, having expressed his desire to knit together a well-rounded collective seeking to compete at the highest level. Supporters are bound to be keen on seeing how a blue-chip recruit settled into his new surroundings, as the club aim to compete on all fronts once again in 2025-26.