Liverpool's Dutch manager Arne Slot reacts during the last 16 second leg UEFA Champions League football match between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on March 11, 2025.placeholder image
Liverpool's Dutch manager Arne Slot reacts during the last 16 second leg UEFA Champions League football match between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on March 11, 2025. | AFP via Getty Images
Liverpool’s leading transfer target is willing to wait for the Reds to approach him over a potential deal.
Liverpool have made it a top priority to sign a proven and capable centre-forward this summer. The Premier League champions have been linked with several impressive names over the last few months, but one player stands out above them all, according to the latest reports.
Arne Slot is eager to defend his title, having lifted the Premier League trophy at the first time of asking in his maiden season. With Mohamed Salah penning a new deal and Florian Wirtz joining, Liverpool have made quite the statement with these announcements.
However, the Reds have been exploring new options at centre-forward for some time now. Darwin Nunez is expected to be sold on, and Diogo Jota has tragically left a huge hole in the team following the devastating news of his death.
Liverpool identify ‘priority target’
Liverpool are searching for a striker who ‘fits Slot’s philosophy’ and according to CaughtOffside, Hugo Ekitike has emerged as their ‘priority target’ this summer.
Despite being heavily linked with the likes of Alexander Isak and Victor Osimhen, Ekitike has taken centre stage. Eintracht Frankfurt reportedly value their star striker in the region of €85-100 million (£73-86m), so it will cost a pretty penny to get a deal over the line.
His value doesn’t come without reason, though. In a season where Frankfurt finished third in the Bundesliga and reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League, Ekitike contributed 22 goals and 12 assists in all competitions.
Such numbers teamed up with the inevitable threat of Mohamed Salah on the right and flair of Luis Diaz on the left - should he remain at Anfield - would shift Liverpool’s attack into an even higher gear.
Hugo Ekitike ‘willing to wait’ for Liverpool
Ekitike is not going to come cheap, meaning Liverpool may need to do some shuffling of the pack before they can commit to an offer. The Reds have already sold Trent Alexander-Arnold, Caoimhin Kelleher, Jarell Quansah and Nat Phillips for a combined £66 million, with further sales expected before the window closes.
If Liverpool are indeed waiting to secure more sales before spending again, it doesn’t seem like it will be a problem for Ekitike. The report claims that the French star is aware the Reds may need to offload more players first and is ‘willing to wait patiently’ for space to be made for him in the squad.
The latest on Nunez is that Napoli are keen on bringing the Uruguayan to Serie A but fear they could be priced out of a move. According to Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool are holding out for offers ‘more than €65 million (£56m)’ for Nunez, which has been deemed ‘too expensive’ by Napoli.
The transfer expert says the Italians are still working on figuring out a deal with Liverpool but as things stand, no green light has been given due to his ‘excessive’ asking price.
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