When could Hugo Ekitike make his Liverpool debut as megabucks move draws close to completion | OneFootball

In just a matter of days’ time, Hugo Ekitike could officially be a Liverpool player.

The Reds appear to be closing in on a big-money move for the Eintracht Frankfurt striker, with reports of a deal being agreed between the two clubs for an initial £69m, potentially rising to £78m with add-ons.

Sky Sports outlined that there’s still work to be done before the structure of the add-ons is fully agreed, but it seems that such particulars won’t be overly difficult to pin down, judging by the tone of the various reports which have emerged about the proposed transfer.

When could Liverpool complete the signing of Ekitike?

One German football reporter has now given Liverpool fans a tantialising indication as to just how soon Ekitike could be signed, sealed and delivered at Anfield.

Julius Schamburg – a journalist with Sport1 – outlined (via X) that the 23-year-old is expected to undergo his medical on Merseyside ‘next week’, with the Reds eager to finalise the deal before Eintracht Frankfurt depart for the pre-season tour to USA.

Arne Slot’s side will be jetting off themselves in the coming days, heading to the Far East for friendlies against AC Milan (next Saturday) and Yokohama F. Marinos (30 July) – and the French forward is ‘expected to join’ his prospective new teammates in Asia.

(Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)

Ekitike on course to join Liverpool well before the season starts

It wasn’t specified whether Ekitike would be officially signed before Liverpool face the Rossoneri in Hong Kong, but if the plan is for him to fly out to link up with the squad before they return to Merseyside, we can assume that the prospective completion date for the transfer is sometime this week.

That’d give the Frenchman at least a fortnight with the Reds before the Community Shield on 10 August, and a good three weeks before the start of our Premier League title defence against Bournemouth, ample scope for him to adapt to Slot’s tactical setup ahead of the competitive action getting underway.

The tragic death of Diogo Jota earlier this month, along with the ongoing speculation over Darwin Nunez’s future, left LFC needing to reinforce their centre-forward ranks in the current transfer window, and they now appear to be on the cusp of doing just that.

Once Ekitike is signed, it means that Liverpool will have bolstered their squad between the sticks, in both full-back positions, in attacking midfield and at the apex of attack this summer, with Slot firmly putting his own stamp on the composition of the starting XI after inheriting a successful group from Jurgen Klopp.

If all goes to plan, we should get our first glimpse of the French striker in the iconic red shirt either against AC Milan next Saturday or Yokohama F. Marinos four days later. Not much longer to go now, seemingly!