Hugo Ekitike showed his interest in joining Liverpool as photos surfaced of him training in a vintage kit that proudly displays the name of the club’s iconic captain, Steven Gerrard.
Ekitike is poised to undergo a medical ahead of completing move from Eintracht Frankfurt.
Liverpool have struck a deal worth an initial £69m plus £10m in add-ons, which are based on team and player performance.
This came despite long-standing interest from Newcastle, who had opened talks with Frankfurt before Liverpool swooped.
Fans have been quick to highlight Ekitike’s desire to play for the Reds, citing him wearing a Gerrard kit while training this summer.
Photos have been shared of incoming Liverpool signing Hugo Ekitike training in a Liverpool kit
The kit featured Steven Gerrard’s name and old No28, believed to be from the 1997/98 season
Gerrard had worn the No28 early in his Liverpool career, before wearing 17 and eventually eight
Images captured Ekitike practicing at the Marbella Football Centre, reportedly last month, wearing a classic Liverpool away kit from the 1997/98 season.
The kit sported Gerrard’s original Liverpool number 28, before he later switched to 17 and ultimately settled on the number 8 for the bulk of his Anfield career.
‘I love him even more already Ekitikeeee,’ one fan wrote in response.
Another posted ‘He KNOWS exactly what he is doing and we love it, with a third writing ‘It has always been Liverpool’.
One fan speculated that the photo could even hold a clue to Ekitike’s likely shirt number at Liverpool.
‘I won’t be surprise if he wear the No 28,’ one fan suggested, with the number currently unassigned in the Liverpool squad.
Ekitike currently wears the No11 at Frankfurt, but the squad number is held at Liverpool by Mohamed Salah.
Liverpool is optimistic that Ekitike will join their pre-season tour in Hong Kong and Japan. Sporting Director Richard Hughes remains in the UK to conclude the transfer.
One fan speculated the forward may opt to wear the No28 with his current No11 already taken
Liverpool are closing in on the signing of Ekitike after agreeing an £80m deal with Frankfurt
The Premier League champions are hopeful Ekitike will be able to join their pre-season tour
Ekitike is the fifth significant addition to the team this summer, following the signings of Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, and Giorgi Mamardashvili.
His acquisition has taken their summer spend to £289m, with reports indicating that the side are not yet finished with their spree.
Last week, Newcastle had an offer of £70m rejected for Ekitike, which fell £16m short of his release clause.
The club is also rumored to be interested in Newcastle’s striker Alexander Isak. However, the move is uncertain, particularly after the substantial investment in the France Under-21 star.
Last season Ekitike scored 22 goals in 48 games for Frankfurt in all competitions, with 15 of those strikes coming in the Bundesliga.
He was also named in the Bundesliga team of the season following a hugely impressive campaign. Ekitike was previously at Paris Saint-Germain, initially on loan from Reims before joining permanently.
However, he only made 33 appearances for PSG in total and scored four goals.
Liverpool have already been heavily active in the transfer market this summer, with several familiar faces leaving Anfield in a summer of churn.
Trent Alexander-Arnold joined Real Madrid, while Jarell Quansah signed for Bayer Leverkusen and Caoimhin Kelleher made the switch to Brentford.
The Reds are also expected to sell a number of stars before the window closes, with the likes of Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz and Harvey Elliot all heavily linked with moves away.
