Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes has stayed behind in England as the club prepares to complete the signing of French-Cameroonian forward Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt.
While the rest of the squad and manager Arne Slot are in Hong Kong for the pre-season tour, Hughes and a section of the club’s medical staff remain on Merseyside to finalise the transfer.
Ekitike, who has Cameroonian heritage but represents France internationally, is expected to arrive in Liverpool this week to undergo a medical.
The Reds have agreed a transfer fee of £79 million with Frankfurt, and an outline of a six-year contract has reportedly been settled. However, a few minor details still need to be resolved before the deal is completed.
According to The Mirror, Liverpool’s decision to keep Hughes and medical officials in the UK is a strategic move to expedite the final steps of Ekitike’s signing.
Once he successfully completes his medical and the paperwork is finalised, the 22-year-old is expected to join up with Slot and his new teammates in Asia as part of Liverpool’s pre-season campaign.
Ekitike has long been admired by top clubs across Europe for his technical quality and versatility in attack.
Liverpool’s persistence in securing his services underlines the high expectations placed on the former Paris Saint-Germain loanee.
As the Reds transition into a new era under Slot, Ekitike is viewed as a significant addition to bolster their attacking options.
With the club’s pre-season already underway in Hong Kong, all eyes now turn to Liverpool’s base in Merseyside, where the final chapter of this major transfer is playing out.
