Liverpool have now submitted an improved offer to Eintracht Frankfurt for Hugo Ekitike, worth up to £78 million.
The 23-year-old forward sat on the bench for Frankfurt’s friendly against FSV Frankfurt on Saturday, unused as an indicator of where his future is heading.
After an initial bid was submitted late in the week, an improved offer is now reported by several journalists, with the total value up to €90 million (£78m).
Reporter Alex Crook writes that talks are ongoing between the two clubs, with “all parties confident” that the deal will be completed.
Ekitike has a €100 million (£86.5m) release clause but Liverpool are negotiating a lower fee.
Multiple reports, including the Guardian newspaper suggest that personal terms have been agreed with the Frenchman, who will sign a six-year deal at Anfield.
Talks with the German club now centre around the structure of the payments and any bonuses.
Ekitike is said to have made it clear his preferred destination is Liverpool, not Newcastle – who had been seeking to sign the former PSG player until Liverpool entered the bidding.
Liverpool fly to Hong Kong on Sunday night, before their second friendly of the summer, against AC Milan, next Saturday. The hope would be that Ekitike can join up with his new teammates in the week.
Ekitike would become the seventh permanent signing at Anfield this summer, following the arrivals of Giorgi Mamardashvili, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Freddie Woodman, Armin Pecsi and Florian Wirtz.
• READ: Why “unselfish” Ekitike would have big “point to prove” at Liverpool
Chart-topping goalscorer
No striker aged 23 or under across Europe’s top five leagues scored more than the Frenchman in all competitions in 2024/25.
Ekitike scored 22 goals in 48 appearances across the Bundesliga, Europa League and the DFB-Pokal, which is one more than the second-highest, Benjamin Sesko.
No under-23 striker scored more than 20 and the only others to net more than 15 were PSG’s Goncalo Ramos (18) and Rennes’ Arnaud Kalimuendo (18), with Ligue 1 considered the weakest of those top five leagues.
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