Liverpool has been biding time to make Hugo Ekitike transfer after Man City's $79M splurge

Liverpool's quest for a new striker has led the club to the brink of signing Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt. The Reds have settled personal terms with the Frenchman for a long-term contract, and are in ongoing discussions with the Bundesliga club to finalize a deal.

Newcastle United had been keen on acquiring the Frenchman and had already had a $94 million (£70 million) offer turned down by Frankfurt. However, the interest was withdrawn after Liverpool stepped in, with the Reds shifting their focus to the 23-year-old when the Magpies declared their center-forward, Alexander Isak, was off the market.

Liverpool's need for a fresh face up front is not a recent development. The difficulties in this position last season were widely reported, even though the Reds finished as the Premier League's top scorers with 86 goals.

Man City, with 72, was the only other team to surpass the 70-goal mark. Upon his appointment as head coach last summer, Dutchman Arne Slot wanted to work with the existing squad at Anfield to see if he could enhance their performance.

However, it quickly became apparent that Darwin Nunez wasn't quite the right fit, with the Uruguayan failing to deliver consistently throughout the season.

Despite making 47 appearances across all competitions, the striker only started 17 times, with just eight of those starts coming in the Premier League. He managed to net only seven goals, as Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz were both favoured in the No.9 position over him. Nunez is anticipated to depart this summer, with Liverpool seemingly setting their sights on Ekitike as his replacement.

However, the Reds' need for a striker extends beyond simply replacing the underperforming Uruguayan. Luis Diaz continues to be associated with a potential exit, while Federico Chiesa's future at Anfield remains up in the air.

The Reds have consistently been linked with new strikers in recent months, with Isak and Ekitike often topping the list.

Beyond these two, Liverpool hs also reportedly shown interest in Julian Alvarez, Viktor Gyokeres, Victor Osimhen, Joao Pedro, Matheus Cunha and Christopher Nkunku. Just this week, names like Ollie Watkins, Yoane Wissa, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Nicolas Jackson and even Marcus Rashford have been bandied about.

Perhaps the solution has been right under our noses all along in the form of Ekitike. Before the January transfer window, Omar Marmoush was perhaps the most frequently mentioned forward, following a prolific first half of the season with Eintracht Frankfurt, sparking rumors that Liverpool were keeping tabs on the Egyptian.

With 17 goals and six assists from 41 appearances for Frankfurt last year, he's been in even better form this season, netting 20 goals and providing 14 assists in just 26 appearances for the club.

Liverpool had previously secured the signings of Diaz and Cody Gakpo in the winters of 2022 and 2023, acting swiftly to avoid missing out on the duo, leading some fans to hope for a similar move this past January.

However, with six forwards already on their books - despite rumors linking Nunez and Chiesa with exits - a mid-season signing was not expected. Indeed, when Man City made a $79M (£51m) move for Marmoush, there was no hint of Liverpool challenging the current Premier League champions.

By securing Marmoush mid-season, City avoided the need to hunt for a new striker in the summer, a period when Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Manchester United were all in pursuit of fresh attacking talent.

While there were suggestions that Liverpool had been scouting Marmoush, it's possible that Ekitike was always their primary target, cleverly concealed alongside the Egyptian.

Frankfurt often fielded Ekitike alongside Marmoush during the first half of the season, with both players thriving in front of goal, even though it was the Egyptian who garnered more attention across Europe.

Despite Marmoush's exit, Ekitike continued to shine as a solo striker. He ended the season with an impressive tally of 22 goals and 12 assists from 48 appearances, aiding Frankfurt in securing a Champions League spot.

He is now poised to be the latest high-profile forward to depart the German club in a lucrative transfer, following in the footsteps of players like Marmoush, Randal Kolo Muani, Andre Silva, Luka Jovic and Sebastien Haller in recent years.

Only time will reveal if Ekitike proves successful at Anfield. However, after an extensive hunt for a new centre-forward, with numerous names considered, Liverpool would have conducted thorough research before deciding on the Frenchman.

Given that the 23 year old would have undoubtedly caught the eye during any Reds scouting missions, Ekitike's potential move to Merseyside appears to have been in the pipeline for some time.