Liverpool are still hopeful of securing the services of Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike this summer, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
The Frenchman seems to be the top target to strengthen Arne Slot’s options upfront, but speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said that any offer depends on Darwin Nunez being sold first:
“I told you several times how Liverpool are working on this deal, how Liverpool are discussing the possibility to add Hugo Ekitike to their squad.”
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“Yes, because the idea for Liverpool is to have one more striker, they are waiting to understand what happens with Darwin Nunez.”
What is the status of Nunez’s move to Napoli?
At the moment, it is believed that the Uruguayan international’s transfer to the Serie A champions has stalled over the Reds’ asking price.
Napoli are not willing to pay a fee close to the €65m (£56m) to €70m (£60m) that is being demanded by the Merseysiders.
There are teams in Saudi Arabia who would like to buy Nunez but, at the moment, the forward is said to be keen on moving to Italy. It is a story to keep a close eye on over the coming days.
Liverpool have competition for Ekitike
Chelsea were linked with a move for the 22-year-old earlier in the summer but the Blues’ decision to sign Joao Pedro from Brighton has led them to cool their interest.
Manchester United have also made enquiries for Ekitike but they have been put off by Frankfurt’s €100m (£85m) asking price.
At the weekend, Arsenal were mentioned as a potential suitor too. The Gunners are exploring alternatives to Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres and they could end up being Slot’s side’s main rival for Ekitike.
In other news, we have suggested that Nunez be offered as part of a swap deal for a Napoli player