Decoding the stats of Liverpool's £79m signing Hugo Ekitike
What's the story
Liverpool signed striker Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal worth £79 million (€91.5 million). A fee worth £69m is guaranteed and another £10m in add-ons will be paid. The transfer comes after Liverpool's unsuccessful pursuit of Newcastle forward Alexander Isak, who was deemed unsellable by his club. Newcastle had a club-record offer of £70 million for Ekitike rejected by Frankfurt before Liverpool entered the race. Here are further details and stats.
Tactical negotiation
How Liverpool outsmarted Newcastle in Ekitike deal
As per Sky Sports News, Liverpool strategically waited for Newcastle to make the first move for Ekitike, knowing that Frankfurt were looking for a bidding war. Once Newcastle were close to an agreement, Liverpool entered negotiations. This tactic is similar to their previous signing of Luis Diaz from Porto when Tottenham Hotspur were also in the race.
Departure impact
'Hugo's departure would be a bitter loss'
Ekitike was an unused substitute in his last pre-season game against FSV Frankfurt on July 19. After the match, Frankfurt boss expressed that Ekitike's departure would be "a bitter loss." The 23-year-old striker scored 15 goals in 31 starts for Frankfurt last season, helping them secure a spot in the Champions League.
Financial maneuvering
Reds's summer spending hits £295.5 million
With Ekitike's signing, Liverpool's summer spending has now hit £295.5 million, making them the Premier League's biggest spenders. The club has even outspent Manchester City and Arsenal combined. Despite the heavy spending, Liverpool's financial records show they could lose another £158 million this summer and still comply with Profit & Sustainability Rules (PSR), which allow clubs to lose £105 million over three years.
Career
A look at Ekitike's career stats
Ekitike started his senior career with French club Reims. He made 28 appearances and scored 11 goals. In the 2020-21 season, the player was on loan at Vejle Boldklub. He made 11 appearances, scoring thrice. Ekitike also played for Paris Saint-Germain. He scored 4 goals in 33 appearances. Frankfurt signed the player on loan from PSG before making the move permanent. He made 64 appearances in total for Frankfurt and scored 26 goals. 22 of his goals came last season.
Information
How did Ekitike perform in the Bundesliga?
Across the 2 seasons with Frankfurt, Ekitike made 47 Bundesliga appearances, scoring 19 times. Last season, he scored 15 goals in 33 matches. He also made 10 Bundesliga assists. 8 of his assists came last season.
Bundesliga 2024-25
Breaking down Ekitike's stats in the Bundesliga 2024-25 season
Ekitike made 33 appearances in the 2024-25 Bundesliga season. He scored 15 goals and made 8 assists. As per Squawka Comparison Matrix (data by Opta), Ekitike clocked 87 shots with 48 of them on target. He hit the woodwork 5 times. He completed 477 out of 624 passes and created 42 chances. He made six through balls and completed 66 lay-offs. He also made 16 tackles and completed 52 take-ons. The player won 137 duels and had 206 touches in the opposition box.