Hugo Ekitike: Liverpool shirt numbers available to Eintracht Frankfurt striker ahead of £82.3m transfer

Barely a few days after the Alexander Isak door had reopened ever so slightly, Liverpool swerved and agreed a big-money deal to sign Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, having quickly given up on prising the former away from St James' Park.

Newcastle United were initially believed to be leading the charge for Ekitike, whom they also tried and failed to sign in 2022, but the Reds forced their way to the front of the queue and are now putting the finishing touches on a blockbuster move.

Ekitike will cost the Premier League champions a reported €95m (£82.3m) including add-ons, and the former Paris Saint-Germain attacker has already given the green light to a six-year contract at Anfield.

Ahead of Ekitike's arrival on Merseyside, Sports Mole takes a closer look at which shirt numbers the 23-year-old could wear for Liverpool.

Ekitike can follow in Rush, Fowler's footsteps with Liverpool shirt number

Throughout his two-and-a-half years at Frankfurt, Ekitike has proudly sported the number 11 jersey for the Bundesliga club, but he can already give up any hope of retaining the same shirt after joining Liverpool.

Indeed, wing wizard Mohamed Salah grabbed the '11' as soon as he arrived from Roma in 2017, and having extended his Reds contract for another two seasons, there is no chance of the electrifying Egyptian vacating that number any time soon.

However, there is a real possibility of Ekitike nabbing the number nine shirt, which he currently sports for France's Under-21s and also wore during his time in his homeland with Reims and PSG, as Darwin Nunez's future is increasingly uncertain.

The Uruguayan has failed to do that jersey justice since inheriting it from Roberto Firmino in 2023, but an exit is still being mooted for Nunez, in spite of Napoli dropping their interest in the Reds' former record signing.

The Saudi Pro League remains a viable option for Nunez, meaning that Ekitike could come into possession of the '9', which has also been worn by legendary figures in Fernando Torres, Ian Rush and Robbie Fowler.

Other Liverpool shirt numbers available to Ekitike

Nunez is not the only South American attacker who could be shown the door this summer, as Luis Diaz remains a priority target for Bayern Munich and is thought to be pining for a move elsewhere.

Diaz departing would leave the number seven shirt available, but Florian Wirtz may also have his eye on the same number, which Luis Suarez and Steve McManaman have also donned down the years.

In terms of already available numbers, the '12' has been unoccupied since 2022 - when Joe Gomez switched to the number two shirt - while numbers 15 and 16 are also potential options for the French attacker.

Twenty-three, 24 and 28 are awaiting their next takers too, but the number 20 has been retired across all levels in honour of the late Diogo Jota.

Written by
Ben Knapton