Liverpool close in on deal to sign Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike
Claims of a bid of 90million euros (£78m) being accepted for the Frenchman appear to be wide of the mark, with the two clubs still in negotiations over the fee and the structure of any transfer.
But it is understood Liverpool are increasingly confident an agreement will soon be struck, with personal terms already reached with the 23-year-old, who has made a splash in the Bundesliga after last year's switch from Paris St Germain.
Ekitike initially moved to Frankfurt on loan 18 months ago before completing a permanent switch in the summer and he scored 15 goals in 31 games to help the club finish third in the German top flight.
His exploits attracted the attention of Newcastle, who reportedly had a £70m offer for the France Under-21 international knocked back and have subsequently seemed to have dropped out of the race.
Liverpool had been weighing up a big-money move for Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, although with the Magpies warning he is not for sale, the Premier League champions switched focus to Ekitike.
Arne Slot's side have already signed Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez this summer, with Giorgi Mamardashvili linking up with the side after agreeing a move last August.
The likely arrival of Ekitike to Anfield for another sizeable transfer fee might nudge Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa closer to the exit door as Liverpool look to balance the books. Luis Diaz is still attracting attention from Bayern Munich although the Reds have no plans to sell the Colombian.
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Daily Record
10 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Djeidi Gassama steadies shaky Rangers to fire them step closer to £40m Champions League jackpot
The summer signing climbed off the bench for the second week in a row to fire a priceless goal In one of the world's oldest cities a Rangers team in its infancy started to come of age after a 1-1 draw, writes Scott McDermott from Athens. Russell Martin's side produced a mature performance to see off Panathinaikos in Athens - and move a step closer to the Champions League group phase. Djeidi Gassama 's second-half strike was enough to earn Gers a draw against the Greeks and secure a 3-1 aggregate victory. And for new gaffer Martin, it was a huge result so early in his Ibrox reign. His side were under the cosh at times in the Olympic Stadium and had to defend stoutly. But just nine miles from the Acropolis, it was Rui Vitoria's men whose Euro hopes were left in ruins. Gassama - only signed a fortnight ago from Sheffield Wednesday - made a crucial contribution again, just as he did in the Ibrox first-leg. The Frenchman came off the bench after an hour and buried a chance to make it 1-1 - and silence the Athens crowd. Rangers now face Servette or Viktoria Plzen in the third qualifying round next week. Here are Record Sport's five talking points from the Olympic Stadium Gass Fire Has a player ever become more of a fans' favourite so early in their Rangers career as Gassama? The French winger has only been at Ibrox a couple of weeks and he's already wowed supporters with two stunning goals in Europe. Gassama made an immediate impact in the first-leg in Glasgow, coming off the bench to produce a terrific finish which put Rangers 2-0 up. Martin must have been tempted to start him in Athens but resisted, knowing he could provide a spark as a sub. And he was at it again to sicken the Greeks. As soon as Panathinaikos got in front, Gassama was thrown on by his gaffer. Within two minutes, a deft flick sent Nico Raskin racing clear into the box. And after Danilo's shot was saved, the Gas man drilled home a terrific goal in off the post Dowell Defiance Most Rangers fans expected forgotten man Kieran Dowell to be nowhere near Martin's squad this season - never mind his starting line-up. The midfielder hasn't cut it at Ibrox and was shipped out on loan to League One outfit Birmingham City last term. Gers punters were convinced he'd be out the door when Martin was appointed but instead he's managed to cement a place in the team. Whatever Martin sees in the 27-year-old, it's been enough for him to put faith in Dowell for these huge Champions League qualifiers. He could easily have been the fall guy with new boy Gassama fit and pushing for a start. But again, the manager deployed Dowell on the right of his front three, with young Findlay Curtis on the other wing. To be fair to the much-maligned Scouser, he might not have created much going forward - but he put in a brilliant defensive shift for the team. And he might have an Ibrox future yet. Max Factor Martin must find a solution to the Rangers left-back situation as the season goes on. At the moment, he's relying on new boy Max Aarons to play there and, of course, the Englishman can fill the role. But it can't be a long-term plan because against dangerous opposition in Athens, he struggled. Aarons was signed as a right-back, which is his natural position, but so far he can't shift Gers skipper James Tavernier. Jefte, who was the club's left-back, hasn't been given a look-in so far by the manager. But Aarons didn't look comfortable last night, up against ex-Manchester United kid Facunda Pellistri, especially in the first half. Too often, he was caught napping or on the wrong side as Panathinaikos attacked - and almost cost Rangers a goal. Basically, he looked like a right-back playing on the left. You can get away with it for so long and maybe it's a temporary fix for Martin right now. But it can't continue for a full campaign. Olympic Tame It was hot and humid in the Greek capital but nowhere near as hostile as it could have been for Rangers. That was due to the game being switched from Panathinaikos' own Apostolos Nikolaidis ground to the Olympic Stadium. Granted, it allowed 40,000 of the home supporters to get in. But in an arena which holds 70,000, it was never going to be as noisy or vociferous - despite the best efforts of Panathinaikos' infamous Gate 13 Ultras. The stadium move helped Martin and his players. With a huge running track around the pitch, it wasn't a suffocating experience, even with high temperatures. After a flurry of noise pre-kick-off - and early on when Martin's men were under the cosh - it quietened down, largely due to the away side taking the sting out of the atmosphere. And when Gassama struck, it killed their hope. Resilient Rangers In the Athens heat, with 40,000 home fans baying for blood, this was never going to be a pretty performance from Rangers. And in a tense first half, Martin's men found themselves under the cosh as Panathinaikos pushed to overturn the two-goal deficit. The visitors could easily have buckled under pressure but they held firm, showing grit, determination - and courage. With Jack Butland back to somewhere near his best behind a solid defence marshalled superbly by John Souttar and Nasser Djiga, they frustrated the Greeks for large parts of the game. Not just with the defensive work but - at times - with a calmness in possession that Martin demands. The football isn't perfect yet but no-one can say the players aren't putting a shift in for him, which is a good sign. That's what got them the result here and helped them progress in the Champions League. Given where he's at in his Rangers' tenure, it's an achievement for the manager just to get through this tie. And with Servette or Plzen up next, they've taken a huge step towards reaching the group phase.
BBC News
10 minutes ago
- BBC News
Benjamin Sesko: Is Man Utd, Newcastle and Chelsea target on brink of big move?
"He's good in front of goal. He has a good attitude. He is relentless."You can see why Premier League teams are interested in £70m-rated Leipzig striker Benjamin only being 22, it feels as if the Slovenia international has been linked to English football for years - so could this be the summer he makes the move?Manchester United have made him their top striker target, while Newcastle United want him - if Alexander Isak had been strongly linked to Arsenal for some time before they went for Sporting's Viktor Gyokeres. Plus Chelsea, too (though who isn't...?).Big, strong, quick, good in the air and a fine finisher, Sesko has been compared to Erling Haaland - and not just because they both played for why are so many clubs being linked with him? 'The quality to play in one of Europe's best sides' Sesko is a goalscorer. In fact, nobody in his age range has scored more goals in the past two seasons (more on that later).But last season he became more of an all-rounder, with 9.7% of his touches coming in the opposition box - compared with 17% the season got involved more on both wings and further back into midfield. He was one of the fastest strikers in the Bundesliga at 35.7km/h - and had the best aerial success rate of strikers involved in at least 60 of them.A recruitment specialist working at the highest level recently spoke to BBC Sport reporter Alex Howell about Sesko, who stands at 6ft 5in tall."He's so athletic, he's big, physical and strong," said the anonymous source."I think the physicality of the Premier League won't overawe him. "When you look at some players in Europe, where the tempo is slower, you see them struggle to transition to bigger leagues."The Bundesliga is one of the big three in the world, but when you look at transitioning in big leagues he has the physical capabilities to do it." And what are some other qualities of Sesko, who idolised former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic when he was younger?"He is clinical, he can drop in into space," said the recruitment expert."One of his strengths is getting the ball quickly. He can hold it, hold defenders off, he can give it to the winger, he can give it to the 10."He's good in front of goal. He has a good attitude. He is relentless.""You wouldn't expect him to hit the ground running straight away, but in six to 12 months he will be fine and you've got yourself a very good player."Central European football expert Lukas Vrablik added: "I think Sesko has the quality to play in one of Europe's best sides. He can be a big asset. At the same time he's a player who will develop. "He's not the finished product yet. Right now he might not be one of the best strikers in Europe, but he has room for improvement." So how prolific is he? Sesko has spent the past two seasons in Germany with Leipzig, having joined them from sister club Salzburg in was a deal that had been agreed and announced in the summer of 2022 - making him unavailable for any English has scored 39 goals in 87 games in all competitions in those two seasons (plus eight assists), with 27 in 64 in the of those goals have come in the Champions moving to Germany, Sesko is the top goalscorer currently aged under 23 in all competitions, of players who are based in Europe's top five is one above Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham and five clear of Florian Wirtz, who joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £100m this summer."Last season, I don't think he was as good as the season before - but that was also influenced by Leipzig not being so good as a team," added Vrablik."There are big expectations for him as a striker. There is big hype around him."Sesko has shown clinical finishing in his time in Germany, six forwards have scored more goals in the Bundesliga in the past two seasons, even though Sesko is 16th for expected goals, 14th on shots and 22nd on touches in the opposition he is lethal from long range too, with 36.8% of his shots - and 23.1% of his goals - coming from outside the box. Both are higher than any Bundesliga striker to score 12 or more goals last season. Where it all started for 'confident' Sesko All of Sesko's senior football so far has come for Red Bull teams in Europe, having left home aged 16 for played two seasons for Salzburg's feeder club - Liefering - in Austria's second tier, scoring 22 goals in 44 21 goals of those came in 2020-21, having only netted once the season from there he played for Salzburg, bagging 29 goals in 79 games in two full seasons. He won the league both seasons, plus the Austrian Cup, scoring in the final win over journalist Miran Zore said in 2024: "We kind of expected his success but no-one knew he was so special, except his agent, Elvis Basanovic, who tried to convince people about his potential. "He used to send messages to scouts and directors, saying, 'this is the next goal machine'."When he was struggling in Salzburg at the start, people were asking his agent, 'where's this goal machine'. Now, everyone is laughing about it." In 2022, Sesko himself was quoted as saying: "My team-mates at the club tell me that Haaland and I are very similar, especially in terms of speed. Most of them even tell me that I'm better than him."Manchester City striker Haaland (who left Salzburg before Sesko's debut) netted the same amount of goals for the Austrian club as Sesko - but the Norwegian only needed 27 matches, 34% of the amount Sesko maybe his team-mates were just being so, that comment alone would suggest some degree of self-assurance."I hear from people in Slovenia who worked with him that he's a really hard-working guy - and really confident," said Vrablik. "He has a healthy confidence, which is really important for a striker."For his country, Sesko has scored 16 goals in 41 games and featured for them at Euro 2024. Only three players have ever scored more for the former Yugoslav in 2024, former Slovenia international Miran Pavlin said: "He has to focus on playing well and the transfer will come - if not this year, then in one or two years. "He has the potential to be one of the top 10 strikers in the world, for sure." Man Utd lead the chase - but where will he actually go? There is no certainty that Sesko will leave they have failed to qualify for Europe this season and have started a summer rebuild under new boss Ole Sport was told Sesko has an informal agreement with his club that he can leave if an elite team offer about £ Sesko joined Leipzig from sister club Salzburg in 2023 he had a release clause of £55m - but last summer he signed a new long-term suggest that also has a release clause, which has begs the question of who could afford him? The answer is: not many teams bar Premier League sides or Saudi clubs."He's well positioned to make a difference at a top club. It's just a matter of time until he moves," said Vrablik. "But maybe not this summer."I think the price paid a part [on why he hasn't moved yet]. There are not many clubs who can afford him right now, which is a problem if he wants to move on."I wouldn't be surprised to see him stay at Leipzig another season. It might be good for his development if he can repeat the season from before Euro 2024."It depends on the market, maybe some departure would bring this effect. I expected him to end up at Arsenal." Arsenal were interested in Sesko before signing Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres, in a deal worth up to £64m (73m euros ) - so still big money, but slightly United had put Sesko and Aston Villa's England striker Ollie Watkins at the top of their list, but are now focusing on the Slovenian and have spoken to have already spent £130m on forwards Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo this summer, but still have money to Hojlund is United's other Newcastle also want Sesko - if their own star striker Isak was not part of their pre-season tour to Asia and BBC Sport was told he is looking at his are said to be interested in Isak but a move would certainly cost in excess of £100m. That fee would, in turn, leave Newcastle able to afford Wilson left St James' Park on a free transfer this summer, meaning 21-year-old William Osula would be their only senior striker if Isak did Manchester United, a move to the Magpies would enable Sesko to play in the Champions League next would Chelsea - who have also been the Blues have already signed strikers Liam Delap and Joao Pedro for a combined £90m this summer, so would need to offload Nicolas Jackson and perhaps of Europe's elite teams - including Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus and AC Milan - have also been reportedly keen in the past those links have gone it be the same for those Premier League clubs currently in the mix for his signature - or is this finally the summer Sesko makes his move?
Metro
40 minutes ago
- Metro
Chelsea agree £34m Jorrel Hato transfer but Ajax include clause
Chelsea have agreed a €40 million (£34.5m) deal to sign Ajax centre-back Jorrel Hato, according to reports. Negotiations between the two clubs were accelerated last week when Chelsea made an official approach to Ajax for the highly rated 19-year-old. The Athletic report that Chelsea and Ajax have now agreed a transfer fee for the Netherlands international, who will now undergo a medical. The report adds that Ajax have also managed to secure a sell-on clause as part of their agreement with Chelsea. Hato will become Chelsea's fourth summer signing after Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens, while Estevao Willian, Kendry Paez, Dario Essugo and Mamadou Sarr have also joined Stamford Bridge this summer. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we'll send you so we can get football news tailored to you. The Dutch defender had also attracted interest from Arsenal, whilehe was spotted during a game at Anfield in January, sparking speculation over a possible move to Liverpool. Chelsea are also in talks with RB Leipzig to sign their 22-year-old Dutch midfielder Xavi Simons. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Benjamin Sesko makes decision over Newcastle transfer after Manchester United approach MORE: Michael Owen says only three clubs can win the Premier League next season MORE: The seven players Chelsea are trying to sell this summer after £50m double exit
