Latest news with #HugoEkitike
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Fabrizio Romano confirms: Liverpool approach for €100m deal AFTER Florian Wirtz
Liverpool hope to wrap up a deal for Florian Wirtz before long but it appears they've already made contact for a second €100m transfer. It's a new era at Anfield. Liverpool hope to sign Florian Wirtz relatively soon. The German playmaker has given the go-ahead to the Reds, ruling out a move to Bayern Munich. Advertisement It comes after Manchester City also dropped out of the race. Liverpool were actually considered to be true outsiders for this one and highly unlikely to sign Wirtz with such powerful competition. And yet, they're on the brink of the biggest transfer in their history. The biggest in English football history, in fact. But it also seems that Liverpool don't want to stop there. There's considerable talk that they're plotting another major transfer and have even made contact already. We're witnessing something special this summer. Liverpool make contact for Hugo Ekitike Fabrizio Romano confirms that Liverpool have asked about Hugo Ekitike. The Frenchman is expected to leave Eintracht Frankfurt this summer if someone can meet the asking price. Advertisement And Liverpool are interested in being that club. They've made contact with Frankfurt over Ekitike, though the Reds are yet to push forward. "Chelsea remain informed on the situation," Romano said on YouTube. "Also, Liverpool. "Liverpool are attentive to the situation of Hugo Ekitike so these two clubs have already made some contacts to be informed on the situation."
New York Times
16 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
Liam Delap set for Monday medical ahead of £30m Chelsea transfer
Chelsea are planning for Liam Delap to undergo his medical on Monday ahead of a proposed £30million ($40m) transfer from Ipswich Town. As reported by The Athletic on Thursday, Chelsea met the release clause in Delap's contract, which became active upon Ipswich's relegation from the Premier League, with the striker's preference to move to Stamford Bridge. The Athletic reported that sources at teams including Manchester United, Newcastle United, Everton, Nottingham Forest, AC Milan and Juventus had been informed the striker was heading elsewhere. Advertisement The England Under-21 international had multiple suitors after scoring 12 goals in 40 matches for Ipswich in his first season at the club following a £20m move from Manchester City last summer. Delap spent the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons across Championship loan spells at Stoke City, Preston North End, and Hull City, scoring 12 times across 70 matches. He made just six first-team appearances for Manchester City before departing the club in July last year. Chelsea had been keen to resolve their transfer business early in the transfer window in order to go into pre-season with a settled squad and to maximise the preparation time ahead of Enzo Maresca's second season. Recruiting a striker and right-footed winger was a priority for the club this summer. As reported by The Athletic, Chelsea have also held interest in Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike and RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko. A 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on the final day of the 2024-25 Premier League campaign secured Chelsea a fourth-placed finish and a return to the Champions League for the first time since 2022-23. Enzo Maresca finished his debut campaign in the Chelsea dugout with a Conference League trophy, after beating Real Betis 4-1 in the final on Wednesday.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Liverpool move CLOSER to €100m Hugo Ekitike deal
Liverpool appear to have taken a step closer towards a deal for Hugo Ekitike. It won't be a cheap one, however. Liverpool are reportedly in the race for Hugo Ekitike. Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg is certainly suggesting that - he claims it's something of a two horse race right now. Shop the LFC Store Nike x Air Max LFC Retro Shirts LFC Retro Shirts Advertisement Buy Now Home Jersey LFC Kits Buy Now LFC Nike Training LFC Nike Training Buy Now Chelsea supposedly lead that. They're pushing the hardest with concrete talks over him with Eintracht Frankfurt. Liverpool are there, though, and the Blues know it. They've apparently been hoping to wrap things up quickly before the Reds can swing Ekitike's decision towards Anfield. Though, this won't be a cheap one for any team. Frankfurt hope to bag €100m for Ekitike, who they know is the most in-demand striker available right now. Alexander Isak is completely off the table after Newcastle United bagged UEFA Champions League qualification and the Frenchman is seen as a true alternative. Both Liverpool and Chelsea appear to agree. Liverpool move closer There's been a very interesting update in this race, however. It seems Chelsea are actually going to sign Liam Delap, who's available on the cheap after Ipswich Town were relegated. Advertisement But reports last month suggested Delap didn't want to head to a club with an established, elite no.9. He's not after a pure bench role where minutes are hard to come by. We find it very hard to believe, then, that he's agreed to join Chelsea unless he's received guarantees. That would mean no Ekitike, who would unquestionably want to be their regular starting striker.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Breaking The Bank For Bundesliga Star Hugo Ekitike Is A Massive Gamble
He carries the look of an NBA forward, but Hugo Ekitike isn't drawing attention from the basketball world. Instead, the French striker is subject to a mega-money transfer to one of European soccer's big heads after a bright few months with German club Eintracht Frankfurt. According to multiple reports, Premier League team Chelsea is considering an overture for the 22-year-old. And, as of Wednesday, German outlet Sky Sport includes newly-crowned English champion Liverpool in the running (German), with a €100 million ($113 million) price tag doing the rounds. In the league campaign recently finished, Ekitike averaged just under one goal per league appearance for third-place Frankfurt, scoring 15 in 33. He perhaps should have notched another seven or eight; WhoScored says he underperformed his expected goals by 7.55. All the same, they are decent numbers and show a player often involved in scoring situations. The appeal is clear. Ekitike is young, has an enviable physical presence at 6 foot 3, and attributes to give him a lofty ceiling in the game. However, for a talent so raw, as they say, he must get the right coaching at the right club at the right time. At present, he could struggle to work the same extra yard of space or pace at the highest level in England, where such margins prove the difference between setting the world alight or not. As is the case for many players, opinions on Ekitike will vary. Before linking up with Ekitike at Frankfurt, World Cup champ Mario Götze said, 'I think he has abilities that not many players have, with his dribbling, his speed, and his finishing—so he can certainly help us a lot.' It was an accurate forecast, as the number 11 became a dynamic cog in the front line. He's also taken criticism. 'Honestly, I've seen him playing… He was a little bit too young to play for a huge club like Paris Saint-Germain,' said ex-France star Emmanuel Petit after an interview relayed by FourFourTwo and others last month. 'Now he's having a good time in Germany with Eintracht Frankfurt. (But) I think it's probably too soon for him to come to a top top club like Arsenal or Liverpool.' Spending around €100 million ($113 million) on Ekitike would be a serious commitment from Chelsea, Liverpool, or whoever snaps up the goal-getter should he leave 2022's Europa League winner. Both mentioned sides can upgrade with a reliable striker; regular spender Chelsea needs to ensure no wasted money amid profit and sustainability rules, while Liverpool knows its last significant center-forward investment, Darwin Núñez, didn't return the rewards it sought. If either hits the jackpot, it will have a marketable talent to help bring the riches of Champions League soccer season after season. The fact anyone will probably have to stump up a nine-figure sum to land Ekitike shows how blown up the market is today. There are only so many top-billing center-forwards, and that's the going rate, even for a forward who's only enjoyed two noteworthy seasons—at Reims and Frankfurt—in Europe's major leagues. Is a significant outlay naïve, or is Ekitike an ace in the pack over the coming years? To find the answer, an admirer needs to get the checkbook out.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Could Hugo Ekitike Fit Liverpool's Summer Transfer Window Rebuild?
Eintracht Frankfurt's French striker #11 Hugo Ekitike celebrates scoring the opening goal during the ... More UEFA Europa League quarter-final football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Eintracht Frankfurt at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on April 10, 2025. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images) Liverpool has been linked with a transfer move for the Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, who became the latest of numerous names to be linked with a move to the Premier League champions this summer. Arne Slot's side will be in the transfer market for reinforcements as it looks to defend its title, but though there are a number of deals in the works, none have been officially confirmed as yet. Despite winning the Premier League with four games to spare, there are still obvious areas for improvement in this Liverpool team. It might seem like nitpicking to point out weaknesses in a team that performed so well in a tough Premier League this season, but the areas for improvement can be easily identified. This in itself puts Liverpool in a good position, as it means the club is building from a position of strength. LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 15: (L-R) Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong of Leverkusen during the ... More Bundesliga match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Bayern München at BayArena on February 15, 2025 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by Jörg Schüler/Bayer 04 Leverkusen via Getty Images) The obvious position where a new signing is needed is right-back. Trent Alexander-Arnold will leave the club on a free transfer to Real Madrid this summer, now that his contract is up, and a new right-back is clearly needed. The club has moved quickly to identify potential replacements in this area and is expected to announce the signing of Bayer Leverkusen's right-sided wing-back Jeremie Frimpong in due course. On the other side of the back four, left-back has also looked like an area that could be improved. Though Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas are not bad players, and Robertson in his prime was one of the best around, a team challenging on multiple fronts at the top level in the Premier League and Champions League could do use some extra quality in this area. This is why there are strong links with Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez, who at 21 years old could be seen as a long-term replacement for Robertson. This is another deal Liverpool is expected to get done sooner rather than later this summer. The biggest transfer news for Liverpool so far this summer is the potential big-money acquisition of another Bayer Leverkusen star, Florian Wirtz. The 22-year-old German is considered one of the best young players in the game right now and, having played regularly at senior level since the age of 17, is already approaching his peak. The transfer fee for Wirtz will likely set Liverpool back around $160 million, but they will believe that such a rare talent is worth the money. Wirtz would add plenty to Liverpool's attack as he's able to drive a team forward using his pace on the ball and his passing ability. LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 14: Diogo Jota of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's second goal ... More with Darwin Nunez during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Fulham FC at Anfield on December 14, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images) Wirtz's arrival might even allow Liverpool to get the most from existing attacking players who might not have had the best seasons in 2024/25 despite the title win. Diogo Jota and Darwin Núñez would fall into that category, though you get the impression the club would be open to selling any attacker not named Mohamed Salah if a reasonable offer came in. The arrival of Wirtz, however, means it is under no pressure to do so. If offers do come in, and players are sold, it would open the door for Liverpool to sign a striker. The Núñez experiment brought plenty of unpredictability to the team's attack, and though this sometimes helped them, it sometimes didn't, so there is the option for the club to try something else in this area. It is here that other players for the central forward position can be considered. The rangy Eintracht Frankfurt striker Ekitiké will be one of the targets for Europe's top teams this summer, and Liverpool has thrown its hat into the ring along with fellow Premier League side Chelsea as one of the teams interested. Sky's Florian Plettenberg reported on Wednesday that Liverpool has joined the race for the striker who scored 15 goals in the Bundesliga this season, and that the Liverpool hierarchy, including sporting director Richard Hughes, is keen to bring him to the club. Liverpool made no notable signings in Arne Slot's first season, so should have plenty of room to maneuver financially, but adding another player who would likely cost over $100 million would mean sales are needed. There will be interest in Núñez and Jota. Even though they have not set the Premier League alight in 2024/25, teams will know of their ability from previous seasons. Maybe a team will think they can do what Liverpool couldn't quite manage and convert Núñez's elite chance-getting into goals. This ability to get into positions to score is what persuaded Liverpool to part with a record transfer fee for the Uruguayan in the first place, and another team might see similar potential. Ekitiké is an all-round striker who, like Wirtz, has created chances as well as scored goals in the Bundesliga in 24/25, but unlike Wirtz is obviously a forward rather than an attacking midfielder. It's worth noting that this past season is only the Frenchman's second campaign where he has reached double figures for goals, but both those returns came in the seasons he was established in a team and playing regularly—the other being for Reims in Ligue 1 in 2021/22 prior to a move to Paris Saint-Germain. Another important asset Ekitiké brings is height. Many managers and coaches like to have a certain number of tall players in their teams simply for defending set pieces. It's an under-reported part of the game that can often explain lineup decisions that might otherwise seem unusual. One of Núñez's strengths is clearing the ball at defensive set-pieces, and regardless of heading technique, simply winning the ball in such situations is important. The players Liverpool has been linked with so far this summer are all under 6 feet tall and not noted for their aerial ability, but at 6 foot 3, Ekitiké would offer something in this area on top of his other attributes. 06 October 2024, Hesse, Frankfurt/M.: Soccer: Bundesliga, Eintracht Frankfurt - Bayern Munich, ... More Matchday 6, Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike (l) celebrates the 2:1 goal with Omar Marmoush. Photo: Uwe Anspach/dpa (Photo by Uwe Anspach/picture alliance via Getty Images) Manchester City has already signed one of the outstanding players from Eintracht Frankfurt in Omar Marmoush; now Liverpool has joined Chelsea in the race for another. Despite Marmoush's exit halfway through the season, the four goals he assisted for Ekitiké made them one of the most common combinations in the Bundesliga in 2024/25. Liverpool has plenty of players who can provide chances similarly, with Salah's additional creativity in recent seasons and the potential addition of Wirtz. Incidentally, the most common assister to goalscorer combination in the Bundesliga this season was Wirtz to Patrik Schick with seven. One could easily see that becoming Wirtz to Ekitiké in the Premier League. The more the numbers and the fit are considered, and if the potential for selling existing players turns into concrete bids, the more a move for Ekitiké makes sense for Liverpool. It is an area of the field where the club has plenty of options to fund a new purchase through sales, and one where, once that money is available, it makes sense to try something new. Ekitiké could be that player.
