Liverpool complete Ekiteke signing: Premier League Done Deals July 16th to 23rd
- Angus Kearney
- 11m
- 5 min read
Hugo Ekitike - Eintracht Frankfurt to Liverpool, £79million
Despite links to Chelsea and Newcastle United, Liverpool beat out the competition to sign Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, who joins in a deal worth £79million. Ekiteke is one of the most exciting prospects in world football, and Liverpool believe he can develop into one of the best strikers in Europe.
The 23-year-old French front man is a product of the Reims academy, and after a successful start to his career in Ligue 1, earned a move to PSG in 2022. However, the move didn't develop as planned as Ekitike only scored four goals in 33 appearances for the Parisian side.
In an effort to regain his confidence, Ekitike made the move to Germany in January 2024, signing for Eintracht Frankfurt. In his first full season in Germany, he flourished. In 2024/25, Ekitike made 48 appearances for Frankfurt, scoring 22 goals and adding 12 assists.
Liverpool no longer view Darwin Nunez as the team's long-term striker, so Ekitike comes in as the next challenger for that position. However, Nunez's start to pre-season has been promising, and Liverpool already showed they can win a title without a traditional goalscoring striker, as long as they have Mohamed Salah.
For Ekitike, this means he can take his time to settle into the Liverpool squad without the real need for his goalscoring form to take off from the jump. However, Liverpool won't want to deal with the embarrassment of a second failed high-profile striker signing.
Bryan Mbeumo - Brentford to Manchester United, £71m
After weeks of negotiation, Manchester United finally confirmed the signing of Brentford winger Bryan Mbuemo, who joins in a deal worth £65m upfront, with £6m of add-ons, according to the BBC.
The 25-year-old Cameroonian spent six seasons with Brentford, developing into one of the most productive wingers in Europe. Last season, he recorded 20 goals and added eight assists in 42 appearances, which ranked him third in the league in goals plus assists. His assist number should have been even higher, as he ranked first in the Premier League for expected assists, with 9.3.
His finishing ability is on par with high-performing out-and-out strikers. He significantly outperformed his xG, his 20 goals being roughly eight more than his xG of 12.3. Chris Wood was the only player to perform better against his xG. While Manchester United are still in the hunt to sign a traditional number nine, Mbuemo brings a goal-scoring threat from the wing that is unrivaled by all but Mohamed Salah.
The price tag is high but warranted. Though it will be challenging for Mbuemo to provide the same level of production he did last season. However, combined with fellow new signing Matheus Cunha, captain Bruno Fernandes, and ideally a new striker, Ruben Amorim will have a front line filled with goal-scoring threats.
Hugo Ekiteke -
Noni Madueke - Chelsea to Arsenal, £52m
Arsenal completed the signing of winger Noni Madueke from Chelsea for £52m in a deal that received significant backlash from Arsenal supporters, who feel that in recent years the club has been too ready to accept players Chelsea want to offload. However, the Arsenal hierarchy feels they’ve signed a 23-year-old England international with a record of Premier League productivity, for a price that aligns with market value, wrote The Athletic.
Madueke is a direct winger who can play on either side, but generally prefers the right wing. Last season, he scored seven goals and added three assists in 33 Premier League appearances for Chelsea. His 3.5 shots per 90 rank in the 93rd percentile amongst wingers in Europe's top five leagues, while his 6.8 progressive carries per 90 place him in the 99th percentile.
This directness makes him a fantastic asset off the bench when the team needs a goal. While his ability to use both feet and play on either wing means he can cover either Bukayo Saka or Gabriel Martinelli if they’re injured or in need of a rest. However, with a similar record to Martinelli, Madueke could very well compete with him to be Arsenal's first-choice left-winger next season.
Despite backlash from supporters, it’s a good signing considering Madueke is one of the more promising young English talents, especially in his position. Though how it’s viewed in the long term will depend on whether Arsenal can secure the coveted striker they need more than anything.
Sean Longstaff - Newcastle to Leeds, £12m
Leeds United announced the signing of 27-year-old central midfielder Sean Longstaff, who joins from Newcastle United on a four-year deal. A Newcastle United academy product, Longstaff made 214 appearances in seven seasons with the first team.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe admitted after their recent 4-0 defeat to Celtic in preseason that he never wanted to lose Longstaff. “But as we know, and I have said many times, finances, PSR, long-term planning mean that sometimes these decisions have to be taken. Sean is a big miss from our squad,” Howe told The Chronicle.
A popular character in the Newcastle dressing room, and an always reliable workhorse in the center of midfield, Longstaff isn’t a player who is likely to blow up the stats sheets. However, his work rate in and out of possession, and Premier League experience, make him an ideal signing for a newly promoted side.
Anton Stach - Hoffenheim to Leeds, £17.4m
Leeds United also confirmed the signing of 26-year-old German defensive midfielder Anton Stach. Stach joins from Hoffenheim in a deal worth £17.4m.
Stach joined Hoffenheim from Mainz two seasons ago, making 71 appearances and registering four goals and five assists. Last season, he recorded the highest average match-rating in the Hoffenheim squad, according to FotMob.
At 6’4, Stach is a brick wall in midfield. He ranked in the top 15% for clearances, blocks, interceptions, and aerials won per 90 amongst midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues last season. His 3.65 clearances per 90 placed him in the 99th percentile.
Along with the addition of Sean Longstaff, Daniel Farke has added significant strength to the spine of his team. Another player with strong resale value, and for a decent price, Leeds continue to make clever moves in the market that improve their chances of fighting off immediate relegation back to the Championship.
Kyle Walker-Peters - Southampton to West Ham, free
West Ham completed the signing of right-back Kyle Walker-Peters. The 28-year-old Englishman joins on a free transfer after making 192 appearances in five seasons with Southampton. He’s the second full-back to join West Ham this summer after Malick Diouf joined from Slavia Prague.
A consummate professional, West Ham manager Graham Potter had long been an admirer of Walker-Peters. “He will bring high-quality competition to the squad, and good character and personality to the dressing-room,” Potter said.
Walker-Peters will be competing with Aaron Wan-Bissaka for the first-choice right-back spot, but Wan-Bissaka’s place is quite firmly set in the West Ham starting eleven, so Walker-Peters may end up swapping sides to play on the left. However, with Wan-Bissaka and new signing Diouf expected to miss a portion of the season to play in the African Cup of Nations, Walker-Peters will feature heavily during those months.
Sverre Nypan - Rosenborg to Manchester City, £12.5m
Manchester City confirmed the signing of highly rated Norwegian prospect Sverre Nypan, who joins from Norwegian side Rosenborg for £12.5m.
The 18-year-old attacking midfielder made his debut for Rosenborg at just 15 years old, and since then has made 67 first-team appearances, with 14 goals and eight assists. Nypan earned some additional hype after an impressive showing against Manchester United in pre-season last year.
The dynamic talent is expected to go out on loan next year, reported The Athletic, but is certainly one to keep an eye on for the future.
Check back next Wednesday with Grubby Balls for all the Premier League's latest confirmed deals!
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