Liverpool wants to sign a top striker to supplement the Premier League-winning team of Arne Slot this summer, but a deal for one of their goals can prove to be prove to be
In recent years, Liverpool has built up a reputation as smart operators on the transfer market, and the fact that they are closed after three huge deals is only a few days after the Premier League title has been lifted, proof of that.
But with their pursuit of Hugo Ekitike, Arne Slot, Richard Hughes and Co perhaps met their match in Eintracht Frankfurt. Ekitike, 22, has no shortage of lovers under Europe after its best season ever after breaking the 20-goal barrier for the first time.
For example, Chelsea is also sweet to the idea of ​​luring Ekitike to the Premier League. However, this is probably easier said than done.
That is because nowadays Frankfurt has its own reputation after negotiating top dollar for some of Europe's most exciting attackers after they see that they catch light with the Bundesliga outfit.
And that could be a problem for Liverpool, who are already starting to run quite a few plates.
With a deal for Jeremie Frimpong everything but packed, the Reds are ready to take a step for Milos Kerkez van Bournemouth. Add to that the small issue of a potential club record deal for Florian Wirtz, which is appreciated on a monstrous £ 126 million, and suddenly the prospect of Liverpool finances another gigantic transfer – with Ekitike with a value of £ 84 million – feels slim.
Frankfurt has already shown that they are not afraid to keep large clubs loose; Liverpool does not have to look beyond their domestic rivals, Manchester City, for proof thereof.
They had to pay £ 65 million to extract Omar Marmoush from Germany from Germany in January to try to save their season, although the Egypt International already looks like a cunning investment after looting seven goals in 16 Premier League matches.
Randal Kolo Muani was sold only 18 months earlier, this time for £ 76.4 million, if you needed further evidence that the Marmoush negotiations were no one.
The sports director of the club, Markus Krosche, is the core of an astute operation. An important factor behind Frankfurt's success is their refusal to include all release clauses in contracts, something Krosche explained last summer in an interview with Kicker.
“The contract constellations are such that we always have a say,” he said after referring to the preference of the club for long contracts and the 'age structure' of their team.
Liverpool went to the summer of the back of their title profit that a new No. 9 needed. Darwin Nunez will probably be sacrificed to collect further funds, because the newly beaten Premier League champions offer to implement their ambitious plans.
Like Wirtz, Ekitike would be an important coup, since he is generally considered one of the brightest young stars of the Bundesliga. The fact that other clubs are aware of this has the potential to give Liverpool a headache – but the fact that Frankfurt also knows that it could be the biggest problem of all.
“He is one of the most interesting strikers on the European market. Hugo has to decide,” Krosche said about Ekitike to Sport 1. “I am happy that we have him. If he decides otherwise, that is our motto: if a player develops faster than we, let him go.”