Transfers: Liverpool agree deal for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike
The talented 23-year-old scored 22 goals in all competitions for the Bundesliga club after last summer making his loan move from Paris St Germain permanent.
Newcastle and Manchester United have been among the interested parties but Premier League champions Liverpool look set to sign Ekitike.
The Reds have agreed to pay a guaranteed €80m to sign the France Under-21 international, with a further €10m possible in add-ons.
The player has been given permission to travel to Merseyside to complete the deal.
Ekitike is set to arrive on Tuesday for his medical and to complete what is expected to be a deal until 2031.
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Irish Examiner
32 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Gyokeres the Arsenal answer? 'If there's a shooting drill, he wants to win it.'
Dalibor Savic saw plenty of top talents come and go during his time coaching the youth sides at Swedish club Brommapojkarna, but says there is one thing that set new Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres apart from most. Gyokeres has ended a long-running transfer saga by finally completing his move to Arsenal in a deal worth €63m plus another €10m in possible add-ons, putting pen to paper on a five-year contract. Former head coach of the Brommapojkarna under-19 and under-21 sides, Savic coached Gyokeres during his coming through as a youngster. Other notable graduates from the club include Tottenham duo Dejan Kulusevski and Lucas Bergvall, as well as a host of other current and former Sweden internationals. Savic admits Gyokeres was not the most technically gifted talent at the club as a teenager, but says the 27-year-old's mentality and desire is what has got him to this point. 'His biggest talent is that he's so determined and focused and stubborn,' Savic explains. 'And he doesn't give up, because many players maybe stop dreaming about Premier League when you reach the age of 27, but he keeps working for it and tries to be a better player every week and every day. 'Everybody knew that Viktor was going to be a top player, but reaching these clubs that we're talking about, the Premier League or Serie A or La Liga or Ligue 1, the top, top, top clubs, you can never predict that. 'I think that all of us coaches, we're just a small part of his football journey. We're just a small part of putting him in the right position to work with his strengths, trying to give him advice. 'But all the hard work comes from Viktor, with the extra training, with the extra determination, extra focus.' Gyokeres moved to Brighton & Hove Albion after leaving his native Sweden but failed to break through at the club, and was loaned out to German side St Pauli, Swansea City and then Coventry City, where he would join permanently in 2021. It was his performances in the Championship which earned him a move to Champions League club Sporting CP. There, he would rapidly establish himself as one of the top strikers in Europe, scoring 97 goals in 102 games for the club in all competitions. 'I think he made the right choice going to Portugal and going to one of the better clubs there, maybe the best club,' Savic says. 'I mean, if you score like 44 goals or whatever he did in one season, you're dominating the game. 'And with his physicality and always being in the box, finishing with the left foot, with the right foot. And of course, Sporting Lisbon is creating, I don't know, 15, 20 chances per game. He's probably going to score one or two per game. 'So I think it was wise for him to go to a minor league, but to a top club. If you remember Henrik Larsson, he went from Feyenoord to Celtic playing in the biggest and the best club in Scotland and grew as a player to be an important player and an important goal scorer.' Arsenal's injury crisis paired with a shortage of attacking options led to boss Mikel Arteta having to play central midfielder Mikel Merino up front for a large stretch of the previous campaign, including in their Champions League semi-final clash with PSG in which they managed just one goal across the two legs. Gyokeres has been brought in as the answer to Arsenal's shortage of goals compared with their rivals, with boss Mikel Arteta hoping he can provide the missing link which will take his side from nearly men to trophy winners. Savic says Gyokeres' hunger to win, which was evident from such a young age, bodes well for the Gunners. 'When you have that mentality, as Viktor had, if we had a game and we lost it, he was mad, he was upset, he didn't like it and he always wanted to win the next game,' he said. 'I don't want to say he's not fun to be around, he's always fun to be around because he's a good teammate. I think he's humble, I think coaches like him, I think the other players like him, but he wants to win. 'If there's a shooting drill, he wants to win it. If it's a running drill, he wants to win it. So I think this mentality is what has taken him to the top level of football because I had a lot of talented players who'd stop working, you know, because they were talented, but they didn't have the mentality that you need to have to reach top level.' The challenge now, Savic says, is for Gyokeres to show he is the world class talent he always dreamt he would be when he was playing for Brommapojkarna. 'Of course, everybody knows that Viktor is a top-level player, top striker in Europe right now. But the question is, is he a world-class player? And I think this is what he needs to prove by coming to Arsenal."
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Man Utd hijack Brentford bid for wonderkid just days after snaring £71m Bryan Mbeumo from Premier League rivals
BRENTFORD face a transfer battle with Manchester United over whizkid Idrissa Gueye. The Bees are reeling from 2 Idrissa Gueye celebrates scoring his first goal for Metz just days after arriving Credit: Alamy 2 Gueye could act as the perfect replacement for wantaway Yoane Wissa Credit: AFP summer — but new boss Keith Andrews feels he can put one over United chief Ruben Amorim by landing Senegalese kid Gueye. Andrews wants to snap up the Metz forward, 18, but thought Brentford had only Southampton to beat for his signature. Yet United and And the fierce competition has forced Bees chief to now look at matching his French club's £15m asking price. READ MORE ON FOOTBALL Brentford can offer Gueye a chance at early Premier League football , while United only see him as a long-term project. The Clarets are late to the chase but remain realistic candidates as they too could offer a quicker route to first-team football. The teenager only joined Ligue 2 Metz from Senegalese club Génération Foot in January, making his debut in a goalless draw with Lorient. He scored his first goal in a 3-1 win over Paris FC just days after arriving, but saw his special occasion end in A&E. Most read in Sport Gueye collided with an opponent and was rushed to hospital with damage to his teeth . Gueye was also part of the Senegal squad that handed Thomas Tuchel his After an early Harry Kane opener, the African side turned the game around to secure a historic 3-1 win at the City Ground, though Gueye was an unused substitute. Man Utd hunting Jackson as Chelsea's demands revealed | Transfers Exposed
Irish Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Arsenal confirm Viktor Gyokeres signing as transfer saga finally ends
Arsenal have sealed the deal for Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon, splashing out £63.7million on the Swedish striker who is set to join the squad on their pre-season tour in Asia. Gyokeres, set to don the No. 14 shirt at the Emirates, was widely expected to depart Sporting after an impressive goal-scoring stint in Portugal and even skipped pre-season training to push through a move. The North London club had initially eyed Benjamin Sesko, but his wage demands led them to make Gyokeres their prime target. After some haggling over add-ons, Arsenal and Sporting have finally come to terms. Gunners boss Mikel Arteta said: "We're absolutely delighted to welcome Viktor Gyokeres to the club. The consistency he has shown in his performances and availability have been outstanding, and his goal contributions speak for themselves. "Viktor has so many qualities. He is a quick and powerful presence up front, with incredible goalscoring numbers at club and international levels. He brings a clinical edge with a high conversion rate of chances into goals, with his intelligent movement in the box making him a constant threat. (Image: PA) "We're excited about what Viktor brings to our squad and are looking forward to start working with him. We welcome Viktor and his family to Arsenal." Gyokeres said: "I always want to score. To be a part of this club and to score in this kit and with this badge in front of all the supporters, I can't wait. It will be an amazing feeling. "I started here [in England], it feels like a long time ago. I think I've improved a lot since then. Now I want to prove myself for real and perform together with the team." Gyokeres will return to England, where he previously played for Brighton and Hove Albion, Swansea City and Coventry City. It was his performances with the Sky Blues that saw Sporting, then led by Ruben Amorim, sign the striker. Gyokeres' competitive debut for Arsenal is likely to come against Manchester United at the start of the Premier League season on August 17 - which will see him come up against his former manager. Arsenal knew that their priority this summer was on adding an out and out striker with Arteta having to find makeshift solutions. That has seen Kai Havertz often lead the line over the past 18 months when fit, whilst Gabriel Jesus has struggled for fitness and consistency. Gyokeres takes Arsenal's spending to around the £200m mark with the Swede joining the likes of Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke in bolstering the club's squad ahead of another attempt at ending their wait for a Premier League title.
