Liverpool ready to announce signing of ‘complete star’ TODAY as Slot gets his wish – journalist

Liverpool are understood to have finalised the signing of Hugo Ekitike after the player passed a medical and agreed personal terms on a six-year deal at Anfield, with details of how Arne Slot secured his signature ahead of Newcastle coming to light.

The Reds have invested heavily in their squad this summer as they look to build on the team that romped to the Premier League title by a 10-point margin last season. But with Manchester City and Arsenal expecting to mount a challenge of their own, Liverpool are now on the cusp of taking their own spending through the £268m (€309m, $363m) mark with the capture of Ekitike now understood to have been completed.

Slot’s side will welcome the wiry frontman from Eintracht Frankfurt for a fee worth up to €90m (£78m, $105m), with the 23-year-old now on course to officially become their sixth new addition of this summer’s window and after he agreed a contract through to 2031 on Merseyside.

Branded a player ready to become the ‘complete centre forward’ by journalist Seb Stafford-Bloor, who went on to identify Ekitike’s six most outstanding qualities, the finishing touches on his signing are now being done at Liverpool’s London office.

Once done, the player is expected to hook up with his new teammates on their tour of Asia, where the Reds are in action against AC Milan in Hong Kong on Saturday evening.

Revealing his signing could be announced as soon as later on Wednesday, the Daily Mail’s Lewis Steele has explained that an announcement is imminent.

“He will probably be here, today is Wednesday, maybe on Friday, he will get here? I expect it to all be done today, maybe official confirmation later today, UK time, maybe tomorrow, but it’s all done, nothing to worry about there,” he said via The Redmen TV’s Daily News Update.

With’s Slot wish to land Ekitike now finally fulfilled, it will likely speed up the club’s desire to move on Darwin Nunez, who, despite his fine form so far in pre-season, is set to be moved on in the wake of the former PSG star’s arrival….

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Slot masterstroke helped beat Newcastle and Man Utd to Ekitike

The move to Anfield will not spark the end of Liverpool’s summer business either, with Slot also keen to bring in another centre-half as a replacement for Jarell Quansah, while the Reds will also pursue another left-sided attacker if Luis Diaz moves on and with Bayern Munich set to ramp up their quest to land the Colombian.

What this summer’s window has taught us, though, is that Liverpool’s pulling power remains second to none.

Already one of the world’s biggest and most established sides, their status as Premier League champions, while factoring in the calm demeanour brought to Anfield by Slot, has appeared to notch up their appeal to another tier entirely.

Of course, the ability to pay big money fees and offer high wages, comparable to Europe’s big spenders, also helps.

That was certainly the case with Ekitike, with Liverpool beating Newcastle – who had earlier opened talks with Frankfurt for his signature – and also holding off a late challenge from Manchester United for his services.

And it appears that Slot’s face-to-face Zoom call with the striker had a major part to play in the Reds snapping up their new No.9.

ESPN reports that Ekitike spoke to Slot over Zoom last week and that during their video call, the Dutchman is said to have “detailed his need for a mobile and dynamic No. 9 who could combine brilliance on the ball with tenacity and intelligence off it.”

Ekitike is said to have seen himself as “the perfect fit” for that role, which has led him to “prioritise a move to Liverpool despite interest from elsewhere.”

Slot’s conversation with Ekitike also appears to highlight the Liverpool boss’ pulling power, having also secured deals for Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez in an outstanding summer window for the Reds so far.

Liverpool transfer latest: Konate priority revealed; explosive Ligue 1 star eyed

Despite Ekitike’s imminent signing, a new report has claimed the possibility of Alexander Isak leaving Newcastle for Liverpool in the next 12 months cannot be discounted amid suggestions the Swede’s wage demands have created an enormous issue at St James’ Park.

Elsewhere, Liverpool have held further talks with the agents of Lyon winger Malick Fofana as they look to further strengthen their attack after the signing of Ekitike and are boosted by the player’s thoughts on the move.

Meanwhile, Liverpool remain desperate to ensure Ibrahima Konate does not follow Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid and with the player’s preference over his future now coming to light, two journalists have revealed what will happen next.

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