As Liverpool finalise the €95 million signing of Hugo Ekitike, one can’t help but look east, to Frankfurt. Again.

Because this isn’t just about Liverpool getting another promising French forward. This is about Eintracht Frankfurt quietly perfecting a business model that has made them one of the most efficient talent developers — and sellers — in European football.

🎯 Buy low, sell smart

Ekitike arrived in Germany from PSG for just €16.5 million. He leaves a season later, after modest yet promising performances, for nearly six times that figure. It’s staggering. But for Frankfurt, it’s routine.

In the past few years, here’s what the club has pulled off:

• Randal Kolo Muani – Free → Sold for €95M
• Hugo Ekitike – €16.5M → Sold for €95M
• Omar Marmoush – Free → Sold for €75M
• Luka Jović – €22M → Sold for €60M
• Sébastien Haller – €12M → Sold for €50M

💰 Total transfer revenue: €375M
📈 Net profit on these five alone: €324.5M

Numbers that would make a hedge fund manager blush.

🧠 A club that knows what it’s doing

While Europe’s elite pour millions into ready-made stars, Frankfurt has built its success on patience, planning, and precision. Their model isn’t just about buying cheap and selling high — it’s about recognising undervalued potential and giving it the stage it needs.

Players thrive at Frankfurt. The environment is demanding but supportive. The system allows expression, the culture expects growth. And when the time comes, the club doesn’t hold its stars back. It sells — smartly, and at the perfect moment.

🔴 Ekitike’s next chapter

At 22, Ekitike lands at Anfield with much to prove. The Premier League is unforgiving, and Liverpool is no place for passengers. But there’s a sense that, under Arne Slot, the Frenchman might just find the right space to bloom. He has the talent. What he needs now is rhythm, responsibility — and goals.

For Frankfurt, however, the work continues. Somewhere, the next Ekitike is already being prepared, polished, and poised to rise.

Because that’s what they do. And they do it better than almost anyone.