After wrapping up two key contracts, Liverpool have now turned their attention to the summer window, according to Fabrizio Romano Learn more

Liverpool accelerate £80m signing after attending Tottenham game

Liverpool are gravitating towards a striker who stole the show in a recent Tottenham game and a report claims an £80m bid ‘will be accepted.’

Liverpool are gearing up for a historic summer window having signed just one outfield player (Federico Chiesa) over the last three windows. Assuming Trent Alexander-Arnold joins Real Madrid – which remains the expectation – additions will be sought at right-back, centre-back, left-back, central midfield and striker.

The latter position is under the microscope amid a continued inability to rely on Darwin Nunez. The Uruguayan is far too inconsistent for a team aiming to win multiple trophies each year and per Fabrizio Romano, a transfer – most likely to Saudi Arabia – is on the cards.

Liverpool have looked into signing Newcastle’s Alexander Isak but like Arsenal, are quickly realising a deal is unattainable.

Newcastle value their talismanic striker at £150m, a sum that would obliterate the Premier League’s all-time transfer record (£115m – Moises Caicedo from Brighton to Chelsea).

Furthermore, Eddie Howe has ordered the board not to sell even if record-breaking bids arrive, and there is little appetite from Isak to leave if Newcastle qualify for the Champions League anyway.

As such, both Liverpool and Arsenal are pivoting to alternative options and TEAMtalk brought news of the Reds ramping up their interest in Hugo Ekitike last week.

The Eintracht Frankfurt ace, 22, has enjoyed a breakthrough season in Germany, notching 30 goal contributions (21 goals, nine assists) so far.

Ekitike dazzled in the first leg of Frankfurt’s Europa League quarter-final clash with Tottenham last week, scoring the opener following a mazy fun and powerful low strike.

We revealed Liverpool had scouts in attendance for that match and planned to observe Ekitike in the return leg in Germany too.

Now, a fresh update from Caught Offside has confirmed our reporting on Liverpool’s scouting mission along with stating the Reds are ‘increasingly leaning towards’ Ekitike as their striker signing.

Liverpool are understood to be ‘seriously considering’ a move, while a separate update from Football Insider has shed light on the cost.

£80m for Hugo Ekitike

They claimed Frankfurt will demand top dollar having just sold Omar Marmoush to Manchester City in January.

The club aren’t totally against losing their two best forwards in consecutive windows, however, so long as they generate gigantic profits.

To that end, it’s claimed Liverpool have been informed a bid of £80m ‘will be accepted’ if tabled for Ekitike.

An £80m deal would make Ekitike Liverpool’s second most expensive signing of all time behind Nunez. However, the Nunez fee would only be higher if the vast bulk of add-ons in his agreement were paid.

Nunez cost an initial £64m to sign from Benfica, with the final fee rising to £86m through add-ons