Hugo Ekitike has just seen his price tag rise amid Liverpool transfer interest – Liverpool FC

Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike is a participant Liverpool have reportedly been “monitoring carefully,” however the ahead’s price ticket has now been raised amid rising switch curiosity.

Final month, the Mail‘s Lewis Steele described the 22-year-old as a participant the membership’s scouts have had a watch on for “a while,” with the membership anticipated to be available in the market for a No. 9 this summer time.

Ekitike, who has 21 targets and 9 assists in 43 appearances this season, was beforehand claimed by Sky Germany to have a price ticket within the area of €80 million (£67m).

A tidy markup on the £17.1 million the German membership signed him for from PSG final summer time, although reporter Florian Plettenberg has now claimed on X that the worth has been raised.

Frankfurt are as a substitute mentioned to be demanding “at the least” €100 million (£85.7m), which is fractionally greater than the £85.3 million Liverpool paid for Darwin Nunez in 2022.

He’s contracted till 2029 and thus the Bundesliga aspect are in a powerful place to barter, although it stays that the Bundesliga aspect “are nonetheless getting ready for his departure.”

It’s actually a steep payment however one roughly in line with the present marketplace for a striker, particularly when golf equipment are conscious of a necessity like Liverpool’s this summer time.

Ekitike doesn’t have Premier League expertise although has topflight historical past within the Bundesliga and Ligue 1, and that will probably be thought-about closely in the case of his viability for the Reds this summer time.

Whether or not the teenager will probably be actively pursued stays to be seen, however Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes will probably be looking for one of the best deal attainable with whomever they decide on at No. 9.

Arne Slot names key high quality his No. 9 will need to have

Liverpool have additionally been linked to RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, Lille’s Jonathan David and Wolves‘ Matheus Cunha thus far, however Slot’s calls for for his centre-forward have been made clear.

“I feel in modern-day soccer, a quantity 9, like a proper winger, like a midfielder, like a defender, they should work exhausting and be a part of an intense urgent workforce,” Slot mentioned.

“In the event you have a look at the groups that are actually taking part in within the semi-final of the Champions League, they’re all 11 gamers that work their ass off, apologies for the language!

“That can also be what I’m anticipating from our quantity 9 that’s a part of an intense urgent workforce.

“However in the long run, it’s useful if the quantity 9 of Liverpool, or at any workforce on the earth, scores targets. That was the brief reply.”