Liverpool have accomplished the signing of Hugo Ekitiké from Eintracht Frankfurt, with the striker rejecting a late try by Manchester United to hijack the switch.
The France Beneath-21 worldwide has joined the Premier League champions for a assured £69m plus £10m in add-ons, having undergone a medical within the UK on Tuesday.
Ekitiké is known to have signed a six-year contract and can be part of his new teammates on their pre-season tour of Hong Kong and Japan.
The striker was a longstanding goal for Liverpool, regardless of their curiosity within the Newcastle centre-forward Alexander Isak, and make contact with was first made with the 23-year-old's representatives in January. Arne Slot then outlined his plans for Ekitiké in a name on the finish of final season.
Newcastle made a transfer for Ekitiké final week after lacking out on Liam Delap and João Pedro however their £70m bid was rejected by Eintracht and the participant made it clear his desire was to hitch Liverpool. United additionally acquired the identical data once they made a last-minute try and hijack the deal. United's director of recruitment, Christopher Vivell, is believed to have contacted Eintracht's sporting director Markus Krosche over a doable switch however Ekitiké was already set on Anfield.
Ekitiké scored 22 targets and made 12 assists in his one full season at Frankfurt, serving to the membership to qualify for the Champions League, and whereas he's primarily a No 9 Liverpool imagine he can even function as a second striker or out broad.
He's doubtlessly the third costliest signing in Liverpool's historical past behind Florian Wirtz and Darwin Núñez. Anfield officers are assured he can develop into one of many best forwards within the sport ought to his current progress with Eintracht be maintained.
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The deal for Ekitiké, which is topic to worldwide clearance, takes Liverpool's summer season spending to nearly £300m. The previous Paris Saint-Germain participant is the membership's seventh signing of the window, following Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and a trio of goalkeepers: Giorgi Mamardashvili, Armin Pecsi and Freddie Woodman.
