More than any player, Ekitike somehow both reaffirms and rejects conventional wisdom and scouting biases. He's everything "dumb" clubs get wrong about transfers, and everything "smart" clubs get right.

Djibril Cisse has told Hugo Ekitike he "would've been crazy" to have turned down Liverpool advances . But the former Reds striker has warned his French compatriot he now has to justify his near £80m price tag at Anfield.

Manchester United have completed the signing of Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford as Marcus Rashford's exit nears whilst Arsenal continue to push for Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon

There is belief among Liverpool's decision-makers that Hugo Ekitike, 23, has all the tools to develop into one of Europe's top strikers. How did Liverpool decide to sign him and what can fans expect?

In his latest Fact Files column for the Daily Briefing, German football insider Christian Falk has charted the sequence of events which ultimately led to Liverpool agreeing a move for Ekitike.

The France U21 striker has seen a £79m offer from Liverpool accepted by Eintracht Frankfurt. Cisse told L'Equipe: "I think he will adapt well to the Reds ' style of play. "In his role, a bit of a 'target man', a la Peter Crouch if you like, he's the only one in the squad. The manager will be able to exploit him.

Where is Hugo Ekitike from? Explore his Cameroonian and French roots through a closer look at his background, heritage, and multicultural identity.

Liverpool’s Bold Move for Hugo Ekitike After Arne Slot’s Zoom PitchLiverpool’s transfer strategy appears to be evolving under Arne Slot, with ESPN reporting that a personal Zoom call from the