Liverpool sign striker Ekitike for initial £69m

Hugo Ekitike joined Eintracht Frankfurt from Paris St-Germain in February 2024

Liverpool have completed the signing of Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike for an initial £69m, subject to international clearance.

The 23-year-old Frenchman has passed a medical and agreed personal terms.

Ekitike will fly out to join Liverpool's pre-season tour of Asia later this week.

Frankfurt accepted a deal worth £79m, with £69m guaranteed and £10m in add-ons, earlier this week.

His arrival pushes Liverpool's spending past £250m this summer.

They signed Florian Wirtz for a potential British record £116m, while defenders Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong have arrived for a combined £70m.

Newcastle had a £70m bid for Ekitike rejected this month, while Liverpool have shown an interest in Magpies striker Alexander Isak.

Ekitike scored 15 goals in 31 starts and provided eight assists as Frankfurt finished third in the Bundesliga last season.

Only five players bettered that scoring record in the German top flight last season and no-one had more than his 117 shots on goal.

"Hugo has developed tremendously in his one and a half years with us and has been a true asset to our team and the entire club both on and off the pitch," Frankfurt sporting director Markus Krosche said.

"We are delighted that he can now take the next step – a step he has earned through his performances with us."

'Ekitike is a versatile attacker' - analysis

Ekitike is the latest success story of Frankfurt's recruitment.

He was not unknown when he joined Frankfurt on loan in early 2024 but had fallen into a bit of a hole.

He had attracted the interest of other clubs, including Newcastle, when he was coming through at Reims.

Ekitike opted to join Paris St-Germain but could not quite break through amid the embarrassment of riches in the attacking department.

Frankfurt picked him up and signed him on a permanent deal a year ago.

He served as a lone striker and in a partnership under manager Dino Toppmoller.

During the first half of last season, Ekitike and Omar Marmoush formed a fearsome pairing. But this was broken up when Manchester City signed Marmoush for £63m in January.

Frankfurt did not acquire a replacement for Marmoush and instead changed the tactical set-up. During the second half of the campaign, Ekitike played up front, with two attacking midfielders behind him.

Ekitike is versatile and not a striker who only feels at home inside the box. When he played alongside Marmoush, both swapped positions constantly.

Ekitike might not be the most dynamic player, but he can get by defenders with smart moves.

His tactical understanding is one of his great strengths, not just in possession but also when applying a high or midfield press.

'Quality in all-round game' – analysis

Ekitike scored 15 goals and provided eight assists in 31 Bundesliga games last season, totalling the fifth-highest number of goal involvements in the division. He was also fifth in the table for 'attacking sequences' in the Bundesliga.

That can be interpreted as showing the quality of Ekitike's all-round game, whether holding up the ball, running into channels, or bursting in behind.

In that respect - in most respects, in fact - he is very similar to Alexander Isak, albeit with considerably more flair to his game and a penchant for taking players on in the dribble.

He is particularly adept at setting up team-mates, too, creating more chances from open play (44) in 2024-25 than any other Bundesliga forward.

The only slight concern is that Ekitike is a little raw in front of goal. He took 117 shots in the Bundesliga last season, more than anyone else, but converted a disappointing 12.8%, leading to an xG under-performance of 6.6 goals - a bigger gap than any other player in Europe's 'Big Five' leagues.

But that just means Ekitike needs a little tuning up.

Read Alex's full analysis here.