Various sources have stated that Liverpool intends to have the transfer completed by this weekend. Frankfurt have turned down a £70m bid from Newcastle for Ekitike, and Liverpool’s bid is believed to be higher.
Ekitike is willing to move to the Premier League champions, who are seeking a central striker. The 23-year-old netted 15 goals in 31 appearances as Frankfurt placed third in the Bundesliga last season.
But Ekitike is not just a scorer; he’s also a provider, ranking in the top 6% of forwards for creating opportunities last season in Germany. Ekitike had 117 shots on target in the Bundesliga last season – one more than anyone else. His expected goals tally of 21.6 ranked second in the league.
Liverpool have also expressed a significant interest in Newcastle target man Alexander Isak, but the Magpies are insistent the Swede is not available for any fee.
Liverpool have signed midfielder Florian Wirtz in a potential British record £116m transfer this summer and signed full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong for £40m and £30m respectively. Newcastle are set to step up their pursuit of Brentford forward Yoane Wissa in the next 24 hours as their efforts to sign Ekitike tailed off.
The Frenchman was not a mystery when he first made the switch to Frankfurt on loan in the early part of 2024, but he had fallen into a bit of a slump. The forward had caught the eye of other teams, such as Newcastle United, while he was emerging at Reims.
He chose to sign for Paris St-Germain, but he was unable to cut through amid the club’s embarrassment of riches upfront. Frankfurt signed him up on a permanent transfer a year ago. He played as a lone frontman and also in a partnership under Frankfurt boss Dino Toppmoller.
In the first half of the previous season, Ekitike and Omar Marmoush were a formidable duo, but they faced separation when Manchester City bought Marmoush in January for £63m.
Later, Frankfurt didn’t recruit an alternative to Marmoush and rather altered the tactical formation. In the second half of the 2024-25 season, Ekitike led the attack with two attacking midfielders behind him.
Regarding Ekitike’s style of play, he is a versatile player and not a striker who only feels comfortable in the box. When playing alongside Marmoush, both of them exchanged positions frequently. Ekitike may not be the most dynamic player, but he can beat defenders with clever movements. His tactical awareness is one of his big positives, not only in terms of having possession, but also in implementing a high or midfield press.
