Liverpool land Ekitike as summer spree reportedly exceeds £250M

Liverpool aren't resting on their laurels after capturing their 20th English title.

Hugo Ekitike became the latest player to join the Reds on Wednesday after agreeing to move from Eintracht Frankfurt. The deal could be worth up to €95 million in total, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

Liverpool will pay €80 million up front and €15 million in potential add-ons, Romano adds.

The potential outlay on Ekitike and the other players who've joined during a summer of frenzied transfer activity at Anfield - Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Milos Kerkez - could reportedly exceed £250 million. Wirtz is the most expensive of Liverpool's incoming deals as they could pay Bayer Leverkusen up to £116 million for his transfer.

Ekitike reportedly signed a six-year contract on Merseyside after Liverpool beat Newcastle United to his signature.

Newcastle attempted to sign Ekitike in three separate transfer windows, including this summer, when Frankfurt rejected their offer of around €75 million, per The Athletic's David Ornstein. At the same time as their last failed attempt to land Ekitike, Newcastle reportedly braced for Liverpool to make a roughly £120-million approach for Alexander Isak after the Reds communicated their interest in the Swedish striker. However, Liverpool then unexpectedly swooped ahead of Newcastle in the race to sign Ekitike.

Meanwhile, Isak is still with the Magpies, with his coach expressing his belief that the 25-year-old will remain with the team.

"I'm confident he will be a Newcastle player come the end of the window," Eddie Howe said last week after omitting Isak from a 4-0 friendly loss at Celtic due to the speculation over his future, according to The Guardian's Andy Hunter.

Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal - who, like Newcastle, are owned by the Gulf nation's Public Investment Fund - are considering tabling a huge offer for Isak, Sky Sport Italia's Gianluca Di Marzio reported last week.

Ekitike, 23, notched 15 goals over 33 Bundesliga appearances last season and attempted more shots than any other player. He's also earned praise for his all-around attacking game, ranking sixth in successful take-ons and providing eight assists over the 2024-25 league campaign.

Frankfurt helped rebuild Ekitike's career after he scored just three Ligue 1 goals over an 18-month spell at Paris Saint-Germain. He spent most of that stint as backup for Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, and Neymar.

Ekitike, who started his career with hometown club Reims, is yet to make a senior appearance for France.

His arrival facilitates an overhaul of Arne Slot's strikeforce. The tragic death of Diogo Jota reduced Liverpool's forward options, and there are regular reports regarding outgoing deals for Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez.