3 weeks ago
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Liverpool has completed its latest acquisition in what has been a remarkable summer transfer window as it gears up to chase a record-breaking 21st English championship this campaign. It comes after the club used a genius transfer tactic.
Hugo Ekitike has arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt, though he may not have developed into the prolific frontman that the Reds regard him as without Kylian Mbappe's influence. Ekitike has joined up with his new teammates in Hong Kong after a £79 million ($107 million) move from Frankfurt.
He is poised to make another significant step up to a European powerhouse for the second occasion in his fledgling career, having previously joined Paris Saint-Germain from Reims in 2022.
Ekitike arrived in a £30M ($40.6M) transaction following his 2022/23 season loan stint with the Parisians, though matters didn't unfold as anticipated. The 23-year-old found it challenging to establish himself during a difficult period, when he was competing with the likes of Mbappe and Lionel Messi for playing time. He managed merely four strikes in 33 outings.
PSG immediately offloaded him to Frankfurt for slightly above £14M ($19M) after he had done sufficient to persuade the Bundesliga side during his 2023/24 loan spell. During his introduction, Ekitike disclosed that Mbappe had influenced his choice to make the transfer following an unsuccessful period in Paris.
"I have become a better footballer and a better person because of him [Mbappe]," he said.
"I watched him a lot, and he gave me a lot of tips on where I could improve. He recommended that I take the next step and advised me to come here to progress and develop."
Ekitike had a standout season in Germany last year, aiding Frankfurt in securing Champions League qualification with an impressive tally of 22 goals and 13 assists across all competitions.
The Anfield titans started their summer dealings well in advance, securing a deal for 24-year-old goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Jeremie Frimpong was the next to join, arriving from Bayer Leverkusen to fill the shoes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who departed for Real Madrid.
Frimpong's Leverkusen colleague, Florian Wirtz, followed suit, finalizing a staggering £116M ($157M) move to Liverpool.
Milos Kerkez was next in line, completing an exciting switch from Bournemouth after making a name for himself as one of the Premier League's top full-backs.
Now, Ekitike is poised to become Arne Slot's fifth significant signing, a formidable prospect for Liverpool's competitors following their comfortable Premier League victory.
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