Liverpool sign Ekitiké from Frankfurt and take offseason spending to $342m

Liverpool signed France forward Hugo Ekitiké from Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday to continue the Premier League champion’s offseason spending spree. (X/@LFC)
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Updated 23 July 2025
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Liverpool sign Ekitiké from Frankfurt and take offseason spending to $342m

  • Ekitiké is Liverpool’s latest big-money signing after Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez
  • The 23-year-old Ekitiké has joined for a fee of $93.5m

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.

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.


Undefeated boxing great Terence Crawford announces retirement

Updated 17 December 2025
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Undefeated boxing great Terence Crawford announces retirement

  • Crawford, (42-0, 31 knockouts), retires as the reigning WBA, IBF and WBO supermiddleweight champion after defeating Alvarez by unanimous decision in a masterful performance
  • Crawford’s career straddled three different decades, with the southpaw making his professional debut in 2008 and rapidly becoming one of boxing’s brightest talents

LOS ANGELES: Undefeated world super middleweight champion Terence Crawford announced his retirement from boxing on Tuesday, hanging up his gloves three months after a career-defining victory over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

The 38-year-old from Nebraska, who dominated Mexican legend Alvarez in Las Vegas in September to claim the undisputed super middleweight crown, announced his decision in a video posted on social media.

“I’m stepping away from competition, not because I’m done fighting, but because I’ve won a different type of battle,” Crawford said in his retirement message. “The one where you walk away on your own terms.”

Crawford, (42-0, 31 knockouts), retires as the reigning WBA, IBF and WBO supermiddleweight champion after defeating Alvarez by unanimous decision in a masterful performance.

Crawford had also held the WBC super middleweight belt, but was stripped of it earlier this month following a dispute over sanctioning fees.

Speaking in his video, Crawford said his career had been driven by a desire to keep “proving everyone wrong.”

“Every fighter knows this moment will come, we just never know when,” Crawford said.

“I spent my whole life chasing something. Not belts, not money, not headlines. But that feeling, the one you get when the world doubts you but you keep showing up and you keep proving everyone wrong.”

“I fought for my family. I fought for my city. I fought for the kid I used to be, the one who had nothing but a dream and a pair of gloves. And I did it all my way. I gave this sport every breath I had.”

Crawford’s career straddled three different decades, with the southpaw making his professional debut in 2008 and rapidly becoming one of boxing’s brightest talents.

He won his maiden world title, the WBO lightweight crown, with victory over Scotland’s Ricky Burns in 2014.

Crawford won 18 world titles in five weight classes, culminating in his win over Alvarez.

He retires having never been officially knocked down in a fight.

All of his 42 victories have come by way of unanimous decision or stoppage, with no judge ever scoring in favor of an opponent during his career.