Latest news with #HugoEkitiké
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
🎥 Hugo Ekitiké arrives: A glimpse at Liverpool's new star striker
Liverpool officially unveiled Hugo Ekitiké on Wednesday and excitement is brewing about what the former Eintracht Frankfurt striker can offer in the Premier League. Ekitiké follows another highly-rated former Bundesliga star, Florian Wirtz, to Merseyside as Arne Slot continues to build a star-studded squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign. The France under-21 international had a sensational 2024/25 season in Frankfurt, scoring 22 goals and making 12 assists in all competitions, proving his ability to contribute in the final third. Now, it is Liverpool fans have plenty to look forward to from their £69m striker Just how important will Ekitiké be for Liverpool next season? 📸 Christof Koepsel - 2025 Getty Images
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Liverpool signs Hugo Ekitiké from Frankfurt and takes offseason spending to $342 million
Liverpool signed France forward Hugo Ekitiké from Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday to continue the Premier League champion's offseason spending spree. Ekitiké is Liverpool's latest big-money signing after Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez — taking its outlay to around $342 million. The 23-year-old Ekitiké has joined for a fee of 69 million pounds ($93.5 million) and signed a six-year contract, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because details have not been made public, said the fee could rise by a further 10 million pounds ($13.5 million). Liverpool manager Arne Slot has been busy strengthening a team that won its record-equaling 20th English league title last season — in particular in attack. Wirtz, signed from Bayer Leverkusen last month for a fee that could rise to a British record 116 million pounds ($156 million), is considered one of the brightest talents in Europe. And Etikité is another player who has shone in Germany after leaving Paris Saint-Germain last year.
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Liverpool sign Hugo Ekitiké in £79m deal after fending off late Manchester United bid
Liverpool have completed the signing of Hugo Ekitiké from Eintracht Frankfurt, with the striker rejecting a late attempt by Manchester United to hijack the transfer. The France Under-21 international has joined the Premier League champions for a guaranteed £69m plus £10m in add-ons, having undergone a medical in the UK on Tuesday. Ekitiké is understood to have signed a six-year contract and will join his new teammates on their pre-season tour of Hong Kong and Japan. The striker was a longstanding target for Liverpool, despite their interest in the Newcastle centre-forward Alexander Isak, and contact was first made with the 23-year-old's representatives in January. Arne Slot then outlined his plans for Ekitiké in a call at the end of last season. Newcastle made a move for Ekitiké last week after missing out on Liam Delap and João Pedro but their £70m bid was rejected by Eintracht and the player made it clear his preference was to join Liverpool. United also received the same information when they made a last-minute attempt to derail the deal. United's director of recruitment, Christopher Vivell, is believed to have contacted Eintracht's sporting director Markus Krösche over a possible transfer but Ekitiké was already set on Anfield. Ekitiké scored 22 goals and made 12 assists in his one full season at Frankfurt, helping the club to qualify for the Champions League, and while he is primarily a No 9 Liverpool believe he can also operate as a second striker or out wide. He is potentially the third most expensive signing in Liverpool's history behind Florian Wirtz and Darwin Núñez. Anfield officials are confident he can become one of the finest forwards in the game should his recent progress with Eintracht be maintained. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion The deal for Ekitiké, which is subject to international clearance, takes Liverpool's summer spending to almost £300m. The former Paris Saint-Germain player is the club's seventh signing of the window, following Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and a trio of goalkeepers: Giorgi Mamardashvili, Armin Pecsi and Freddie Woodman.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
When does 2025-26 Premier League season begin? Start date, format
The 2025-26 Premier League season is nearly here, with the world's most daunting soccer league readying to kick off a nine-month season in the near future. Liverpool will enter the season hoping to repeat as champions after outlasting Arsenal and Manchester City last season. The title holders have spent big to bolster their squad, parting with a reported €220 million to sign midfielder Florian Wirtz and striker Hugo Ekitiké. Arsenal will hope some improved consistency is the key to taking the next step, while Man City is banking on key midfielder Rodri's return from a torn ACL to carry them back to the top of the heap. Chelsea is another club to watch, as the free-spending Blues used this summer to win the expanded Club World Cup. Manchester United, meanwhile, will simply be hoping for a more coherent, sturdy season after some big stumbles left their huge fanbase frustrated throughout the 2024-25 season. Here's what to know about the 2025-26 Premier League season, including start date, format, and how to watch every game: Premier League power rankings: Every team's odds to win 2025-26 championship Premier League 2025-26: When does season start? The 2025-26 Premier League season will begin with defending champions Liverpool hosting Bournemouth on Friday, Aug. 15. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET at Anfield. Saturday, Aug. 16 will feature five matches across the league, while three more will be played Sunday, Aug. 17. The first round of fixtures of the campaign will conclude with Leeds United hosting Everton on Monday, Aug. 18. Premier League season format For 2025-26, the Premier League has stuck to one of the most easy-to-understand formats in all of sports. There are 20 teams in the league, and a given team plays the other 19 once at home and once on the road. After everyone plays 38 games, the team with the most points (three for a win, one for a tie, zero for a loss) is crowned the champion. That's it! It gets a little more complicated when the subject moves to qualifying for European club competitions or relegation. Currently, the top four earn places in the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League, while fifth place qualifies for next season's Europa League. However, that is subject to change. If one of the top five teams in the standings also win the FA Cup (a knockout tournament that involves teams from all levels of English soccer) or the EFL Cup (a separate knockout tournament for teams from the top four professional divisions), the sixth-place finisher in the league will get into European competition. This year is a perfect example of how things can change. Last year's Europa League winner, Tottenham Hotspur, was granted a spot in this season's Champions League, while UEFA granted England an extra place due to its coefficient rating (essentially, a measure of which league is the strongest). As such, there are six Premier League teams in this year's Champions League, which is the highest number of teams from one league to ever make it into what is widely seen as the world's strongest club competition. As for relegation, that's more straightforward: If you finish in the bottom three, your team has to drop down into the second-tier Championship, which will send three teams up for the 2026-27 season. How to watch Premier League 2025-26: TV channel, streaming The entire Premier League schedule during the 2025-26 season will be available on the NBC family of networks. While the exact broadcast schedule for the full season has not been settled, NBC will generally broadcast at least one game per weekend, while USA Network will usually carry two or more. The majority of the action throughout the season will be streamed on Peacock. Watch the 2025-26 Premier League season on Peacock USA TODAY Sports' 48-page special edition commemorates 30 years of Major League Soccer, from its best players to key milestones and championship dynasties to what exciting steps are next with the World Cup ahead. Order your copy today!
Arab News
6 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Liverpool sign Ekitiké from Frankfurt and take offseason spending to $342m
LONDON: Liverpool signed France forward Hugo Ekitiké from Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday to continue the Premier League champion's offseason spending spree. Ekitiké is Liverpool's latest big-money signing after Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez — taking their outlay to around $342 million. The 23-year-old Ekitiké has joined for a fee of 69 million pounds ($93.5 million) and signed a six-year contract, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. Hugo's journey to the Reds — Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 23, 2025 The person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because details have not been made public, said the fee could rise by a further 10 million pounds ($13.5 million). Liverpool manager Arne Slot has been busy strengthening a team that won their record-equaling 20th English league title last season — in particular in attack. Wirtz, signed from Bayer Leverkusen last month for a fee that could rise to a British record 116 million pounds ($156 million), is considered one of the brightest talents in Europe. And Etikité is another player who has shone in Germany after leaving Paris Saint-Germain last year. He scored 22 in 48 appearances in his one full season with Frankfurt, which have made a big profit on him after buying him for a reported $19 million last year. Ekitiké's move comes weeks after Liverpool forward Diogo Jota died in a car accident in Spain. There is uncertainty about the future of other Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, who have both been targeted by teams in Europe during the offseason. The Merseyside club have not retained a league title since winning three in a row between 1982 and '84, which was before the inception of the Premier League. They are likely to face challenges from Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea, who have all been active in the transfer market since the end of the season. Ekitiké is the latest big-money departure from Frankfurt after forward Omar Marmoush joined Man City for a reported $73 million in January. Marmoush was the team's top-scorer at the time, but Ekitiké responded with his best performances in a Frankfurt shirt to help the team finish third in the Bundesliga for Champions League qualification. Liverpool signed France forward Hugo Ekitiké from Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday to continue the Premier League champion's offseason spending spree. (X/@LFC)
