Romano: Liverpool ‘working on’ deal for ‘exciting’ £86m marksman who’s ‘on track for stardom’

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Liverpool are ‘working on’ a deal to strengthen their forward line this summer, amid the possibility of a significant departure from Anfield.

Speculation remains strong regarding the future of Darwin Nunez, with the Italian transfer expert stating that Napoli continue to be interested in signing the 26-year-old but may ultimately be unable to afford him.

In his place could come Hugo Ekitike, with Florian Plettenberg listing the Eintracht Frankfurt striker among a shortlist of three forwards that the Reds are targeting. His German colleague Christian Falk has suggested (via The Daily Briefing) that the Frenchman is valued at €100m (£85.8m).

Romano provides Ekitike transfer update

On his namesake YouTube channel early Tuesday morning, Romano explained that Liverpool are actively chasing the 23-year-old this summer but cautioned Kopites not to expect any immediate breakthrough.

He said: “Liverpool are working on this deal. Liverpool are discussing the possibility of adding Hugo Ekitike to their squad. The idea of Liverpool is to have one more striker, and they are waiting to understand what happens with Darwin Nunez, with conversations ongoing with Napoli.”

Romano added: “Liverpool can add a new striker. They are waiting to find a solution for Darwin, so Hugo Ekitike remains a name on the list for Liverpool. Of course, this is not a deal happening today or tomorrow, so we need to be patient, but Ekitike is one of the names on the list for Liverpool.”

Liverpool may have to sell before buying

Although Alexander Isak remains Liverpool’s primary centre-forward target, the chances of the Premier League champions spending over £120m on the Newcastle forward this summer seem slim, particularly after the club-record £116m signing of Florian Wirtz.

Ekitike won’t come cheap either at around £85m, but he still looks more attainable than his Swedish counterpart, especially if Liverpool manage to secure their desired £60m fee for Nunez if sold.

Football tactics analyst Mohamed Mohamed has praised the Frenchman as an ‘exciting’ target man with blazing pace and excellent ball control, adding that he seems ‘on track for stardom’ (The Transfer Flow). Those qualities complement his return of 22 goals and 12 assists from 48 games last season.

Romano’s update implies Liverpool might need to sell players before making further big-money signings, so any bid for the Eintracht Frankfurt striker could depend on offloading players like Nunez, should a buyer be found.

The chase for Ekitike may continue right up until the late August deadline, so expect this transfer saga to have plenty of developments yet. It’s promising to see the Merseysiders actively pursuing a prolific cen

tre-forward this summer.