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Liverpool’s transfer activity could step up another gear in the coming days with the expected arrival of Hugo Ekitike as the club’s new striker.
The forward may prove to be Darwin Nunez's replacement, with the expectation all summer that the Uruguayan departs the Reds. However, that looks unlikely to be to Napoli after the Serie A champions confirmed the arrival of Lorenzo Lucca from Udinese on a loan-to-buy deal.
Other strikers have been mooted as potential recruits at Liverpool, but one option has seemingly been ruled out. Transfer reporter Ben Jacobs claims via X that Galatasaray and Napoli have verbally agreed a €75million ($87M/£65M) fee for Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen, with a full agreement “not far off”.
Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano said the clubs are putting the final touches on the deal, with €40M ($47M/£35M) paid this summer and €35M ($41M/£30M) the following year. He adds that a sell-on fee could be agreed.
Osimhen’s expected move to Turkey comes after he was strongly linked with a switch to Liverpool this summer but, at 26, the Reds hierarchy will likely feel Ekitike offers a better long-term option at a similar price.
Meanwhile, Luis Diaz continues to be linked with a move away from Anfield. The ex-Porto man was the subject of a €68M ($79M/£59M) bid from Bayern Munich this week, which was rebuffed by the Reds.
The Premier League champions are insistent that Diaz is not for sale, but Bayern is expected to test that resolve once again.
According to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Diaz has “made it clear” he would like to join Bayern, amid interest elsewhere from Barcelona and Al-Nassr.
He claimed via a post on X that agreeing personal terms is unlikely to be an issue for the winger, but it is now “up to Bayern to reach an agreement with Liverpool”. Should the Bundesliga champions fail to do this, it could open the door once again for Barcelona to swoop in.
The news comes as ex-Bayern and Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann advised the former not to sign Diaz.
“To now bring in Luis Diaz, a 28-year-old South American who played 50 games per season for four or five years and has those long flights home, which are also a problem,” he told Sky Germany.
“To pay €70M ($81M/£61M) or €80M ($93M/£69M) for that, while the sale value is zero because he would be 32 at the end of his contract. I wonder what they even have the campus for?”
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