Liverpool Signs Frankfurt forward Ekitiche

London (The Uttam Hindu): Premier League champions Liverpool have continued their big buying spree by signing Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike in a deal worth around £79 million.

"We have reached an agreement for the transfer of Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitiche, subject to international clearance," Liverpool said on social media on Wednesday.

The club further said that the 23-year-old Ekiteche has passed a medical test and agreed personal terms with Liverpool and will now join his new teammates in Hong Kong on their pre-season tour of Asia this weekend.

This is the fourth major transfer of the summer under new Liverpool manager Arne Slot. The club had earlier bought Florian Wirtz for around £110 million. Apart from him, defenders Milos Kerkez and Jeremy Frimpong were also signed.

Hugo Ekiteche, a 23-year-old French forward who can play in any position in attack, is now a fixture at Anfield. He scored 22 goals in 48 games last season and provided over a dozen assists.

Liverpool have spent over £250m so far this transfer window. However, they are likely to recoup some of that if Luis Diaz moves to Bayern Munich for over £60m.

Apart from this, Darwin Nunez is also likely to leave the club. Meanwhile, Federico Chiesa was not included in the team's pre-season squad for the Asia tour, which indicates that he too may leave the club.

A few days ago, Liverpool announced that they had reached an agreement on the transfer of Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitiche, beating off several strong suitors.

"The Reds and the German side have agreed a transfer deal believed to be worth £69m with a bonus of £10m," the club said in a statement on Monday.

Ekiteche, a 23-year-old French player, has arrived on Merseyside to undergo a medical examination and finalise a long-term contract with manager Arne Slot's side.

Ekitike remained on the bench and did not take the field in Frankfurt's pre-season friendly on Saturday as talks over his future continue.

Ekiteche scored 22 goals in 48 games across all competitions last season and played a key role in his side’s Champions League qualification.