Liverpool hopes of €100m striker signing get super-sized Fabrizio Romano jolt

Fabrizio Romano has provided Liverpool with a very welcome update on their prospects of signing Hugo Ekitike this summer – while the transfer guru has also offered an update on the prospects of unwanted Reds striker Darwin Nunez securing a move to Napoli with new talks due to take place.

The Premier League champions have this week welcomed their first-team squad back into training, but do so with an enormous shadow hanging over them as Liverpool come to terms with the heartbreaking death of Portuguese star Diogo Jota, who tragically lost his life last week in a car crash in northern Spain.

With the club doing all they can to comfort, support and counsel their players in these most difficult of times, they are trying to return to some sort of new normal as they look to defend their Premier League crown and provide Arne Slot with a squad capable of securing an English record 21st title crown.

While Liverpool have already spent in excess of £190m (€220m, $260m) on new arrivals so far this summer, Slot is still keen to add to his squad and a new striker and a new centre-half are still very much on his wanted list.

Speaking last week, Romano revealed that of all the strikers linked with the Reds, it was a move for Ekitike that was looking the most likely, confirming in an update they were ‘working on’ a deal.

Speaking on YouTube, Romano stated: “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 continued: “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.”

Now in a fresh update, Romano has revealed: “His future remains open, but from what I am hearing the Premier League still remains the most likely destination for a striker who did fantastically last season.

“And I would maintain Liverpool as one of the options, because they have always had a strong interest in his signing. Let’s see what happens now with the timings, because Nunez’s exit will be important to understand how Liverpool move forward with Ekitike and more options up front.”

In a warning to the Reds, though, Romano added: “There is still interest from more English clubs and I am told the race remains quite open. But the story is not yet done and I am sure we will be back in the next weeks to discuss Ekitike and a move to the Premier League.”

READ MORE 🔴 €100m striker ‘willing to wait’ to join Liverpool and replace Darwin Nunez

Darwin Nunez sale reactivated as Liverpool’s Ekitike hopes are boosted

The Reds can fund a move for Ekitike, whom Eintracht Frankfurt have made clear they are willing to sell if their €100m (£86.1m, $117m) asking price is met, by offloading Nunez, with the Uruguayan having fallen out of favour under Slot and having been cleared to leave this summer.

Liverpool had been hoping to recoup a fee of €58m (£50m, $68m) for the former Benfica man, and with Napoli emerging as his preferred destination, talks had been held with the Italian side over a potential deal.

However, their asking price appears too steep for Gli Azzurri to reach and, with president Aurelio De Laurentiis keen to drive down his asking price, Romano has revealed talks are due to resume as the two parties bid to reach a compromise agreement.

With Napoli on the cusp of an agreement to sell Victor Osimhen to Galatasaray, Romano posted an update on the Nunez talks on his X account.

‘After selling Osimhen, Napoli are set for new round of talks for Darwin Nunez as the Uruguayan striker remains the main, dream target. As revealed two weeks ago, Darwin wants Napoli and he’s open to the move. Understand he’s giving total priority to Napoli at this stage’.

The sale of Nunez will certainly fuel Liverpool’s hopes that a deal for Ekitike is there to be done, though any deal will not come cheap and the Bundesliga side appear unwilling to compromise on their price.

Eintracht Frankfurt’s chief executive, Markus Krosche, however, has conceded his sale is a very real possibility this summer, despite their qualification for the Champions League.

“He’s one of the most interesting strikers on the European market. Hugo has to decide that, I’m glad we have him. If he decides otherwise, it’s our belief that if a player develops faster than us, we let him go,” Krosche told Sport1.

“Hugo is an exceptional player who played a major role in our qualification for the Champions League. He certainly still has a lot of potential for development as he’s only 22 years old.”

The Daily Mail’s Lewis Steele, also recently confirmed the wiry 6ft 3in frontman is now the striker the Reds are ‘most interested in’ this summer.

In a Q&A in the Mail, the journalist replied: “Hugo Ekitike is the name that pops up the most when I speak to people, so I think it is fair to say he is one to keep a close eye on.

“The France Under 21 star has scored 19 goals and made eight assists for Eintracht Frankfurt this season and ticks a lot of boxes in terms of his age profile and experience – he is playing every week in a top league and has European experience, too.”

Liverpool transfer latest: Guehi deal hijacked; Luis Diaz discusses future

Meanwhile, Liverpool’s hopes of signing Marc Guehi are coming under a serious threat from Newcastle, with manager Eddie Howe ‘refusing to give up’ on a deal, though any hopes of signing the Crystal Palace star on the cheap appear to have vanished.

Liverpool’s wishes to sign Guehi could also be attributed to the ongoing situation surrounding Ibrahima Konate.

Now, a new report claims the Frenchman has made it clear he would like to join Real Madrid if he were to leave Anfield this summer, after another new contract rejection sparked growing talk that his Anfield career is now over.

Luis Diaz also appears to have opened up the pathway to leaving Anfield this summer, with the Colombian attacker now offering a worrying update on his future amid strong new claims of a move to Barcelona.

How Ekitike matched up vs Nunez last season