Toppmöller hints at Ekitike exit as Liverpool close in on deal

Hugo Ekitiké was left out of Eintracht Frankfurt’s squad for their 3-2 friendly win over FSV Frankfurt on Saturday amid mounting speculation over his future.

Reports suggest Liverpool are closing in on a deal for the French striker that could surpass Eintracht’s club-record sale of €95 million including add-ons.

Speaking after the match, head coach Dino Toppmöller strongly hinted that Ekitiké may have already played his final game for the club.

“He didn’t play - everything else is easy enough to figure out,” Toppmöller told Kicker.

“That’s a tough loss. In the winter, we lost our absolute top player in Omar Marmoush [to Manchester City]. The other one [Ekitiké] stepped up and developed sensationally. It’s quite possible that this, too, is now history. That’s why I believe we’ll need to lower expectations overall a bit.”