Reds heading for £300m barrier but host of players set to leave

LIVERPOOL'S summer spending spree looks set to continue with the arrival of Hugo Ekitike.

- By THEO SQUIRES ECHO Reporter

The Reds are in talks with Eintracht Frankfurt and have already agreed personal terms with the forward as they look to bolster their attacking ranks.

The Frenchman will become Liverpool's second-most expensive signing of the summer, should his move indeed go through, after Florian Wirtz joined the Reds in a club-record switch worth up to £116m from Bayer Leverkusen.

Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Freddie Woodman and Armin Pecsi have also all been added to Arne Slot’s ranks, with Liverpool committing to spending up to £216m prior to the arrival of Ekitike.

The signing of the 23-year-old will likely take the Reds close to the £300m barrier, if not break it, with Eintracht holding out for £86m.

But that is unlikely to be the limit of Liverpool's recruitment drive, with further attacking reinforcements and a new centre-back perhaps also desired.

A look at the Reds’ current squad and there will have to be a number of departures too.

Liverpool will boast 31 senior players over the age of 21 with the arrival of Ekitike, with 19 of them classed as overseas players.

Clubs are permitted to name a maximum 25-man squad, featuring no more than 17 overseas players.

Consequently, as things stand, six of the Reds’ current players - including two overseas stars - would not be able to be registered for the new season.

And such a total would rise if further new arrivals follow Ekitike through the arrival door.