Hugo Ekitike to Real Madrid: A blessing or a curse for Liverpool? | OneFootball

Liverpool are scouting so many forward players this summer it's ludicrous. Of course, it's intangible for all of them to be headed to Merseyside, but eventually some decisions will need to be made.

And because of the high demand for strikers at most clubs this summer, eventually the Reds' mind will be made up for them as alternative arrangements for targets will have been agreed.

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It is paramount that the work that the club's recruitment department has done so far is used properly to make sure Liverpool have the high chance of getting their ideal signings across the line.

But time will be of the essence, and the asking prices being thrown around are phenomenally high, making it all the more necessary that the due diligence is put to good use.

Some clubs will have very specific expectations and they will need to be met for a deal to be done.

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Frankfurt might wait for Real Madrid to approach Ekitike

According to CaughtOffside, both Liverpool and Arsenal will need to be wary of a change of strategy from Eintracht Frankfurt regarding their young star centre-forward, Hugo Ekitike.

In his column, Christian Falk outlined the specific caveats in a deal for the 22-year-old.

He said: "Frankfurt bosses already assume that he'll be leaving in the summer. That said, there is hope with the club only one win away from qualifying for Champions League football in 2025/26."

"The price tag is 100m (£85m). Internal talk at Frankfurt is that the striker should stay put until he receives an offer from Real Madrid. If Frankfurt do make it into the Champions League, the player would only be interested in clubs that also play in the competition."

So there we have it, the 15-time European champions would take precedence. What a surprise that is.

But what would it mean for Liverpool if Ekitike became an untouchable target?

Well. His asking price of £85m would have been a tough ask for Liverpool to sanction, even if Darwin Nunez ends up leaving and a healthy amount of money is taken from his transfer.

Furthermore, any amount of money spent on Ekitike would have been a risk. He's a young player, so his simple size was always going to be limited, but it is plausible that his 22 goals and 11 assists this season are a one off, we don't know. There are certainly more experienced players out there.

Take Alexander Isak at Newcastle, for example, the Swede is 25 years old and he has scored at least 10 goals per season for each of the last seven seasons and since he joined the Premier League in 2023, his goal tallies have reached new heights - 25 goals last season and 27 goals this season.

His reliability makes him a far more valuable asset and his ability to succeed in the hardest league in the world helps his cause ten-fold. £100m for a player like that seems far more logical in comparison.

As such, while this latest report doesn't dismiss Liverpool's interest in Ekitike, it brings into question the Reds' ability to get the transfer done. Their decision might have already been made for them.

But that reality is not necessarily a bad thing. It could be the opposite in clearing the picture for them.

What should such a vast amount of money buy me in the current market? A young player who looks promising but has a small sample size, or an experienced guarantee of goal returns. Simple answer.