Liverpool are reportedly targeting an elite £85 million-rated striker as their top priority for the summer transfer window. With manager Arne Slot eager to add firepower to his frontline, the Reds are expected to move quickly to secure the marquee signing. The club views the striker as a long-term No. 9 solution and is prepared to back Slot’s rebuild with a big-money move.
The Merseyside giants have already spent upwards of £180m to secure deals for the arrivals of Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez respectively this summer.
Liverpool are keen to spend more money in the coming weeks, and the club are stepping up their efforts to bring in a striker, which has been a priority for the club for months.
Alexander Isak remains the top target, but Newcastle remain determined to keep him, and Liverpool have now identified a new priority target for the summer transfer window.
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Liverpool want to sign an elite £85m striker as a priority target
According to CaughtOffSide, Liverpool are stepping up their interest in Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike this summer.
They are losing hope of signing Isak, and have now turned their attention towards trying to get a deal done for the French forward in the ongoing window.
Liverpool have been in contact with his representatives for weeks, and the club have been serious about signing the striker for a while.
However, he is now the priority target, and work is underway behind the scenes to try and secure a deal to take Ekitike to Anfield this summer.
The deal hinges on two factors – Frankfurt agreeing to lower their £85m asking price and Liverpool selling Darwin Nunez in the ongoing window.
Ekitike is the striker Liverpool are now seriously pushing for as they look to bring in a new number 9 before the start of the 2025/26 season.
Hugo Ekitike will not be the next Darwin Nunez
Liverpool gambled big on Darwin Nunez in 2022, and it didn’t come off, with the club now keen to move him on this summer.
Isak would have been the obvious upgrade given his goalscoring pedigree in the Premier League, but Newcastle are hell-bent on holding on to him.
Liverpool fans are worried about signing another talented young striker with no history in the Premier League, but Ekitike is a very different player.
While he is tall and lanky and the physical attributes of a number 9, the Frenchman is a much more well-rounded striker than Nunez at this stage of his career.
Ekitike is more versatile, likes getting involved in the build-up and will provide something different than Nunez in the number 9 role if he joins the club.
However, Liverpool would hope to spend far less than £85m on the Frenchman to minimise the risk.
