Liverpool eye Hugo Ekitike’s former Eintracht Frankfurt teammate with £52m price tag

Liverpool have widened their defensive scouting net to include Eintracht Frankfurt’s 22-year-old left-back Nathaniel Brown, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg. The Reds dispatched observers to the Deutsche Bank Park last Sunday as Frankfurt defeated SC Freiburg 2-0, with Brown the focus of their attention.

Brown, who previously shared a dressing room with on-loan striker Hugo Ekitike at the German club, has emerged as one of the Bundesliga’s most coveted full-backs. Plettenberg stresses that the Premier League side are in an information-gathering phase only, with no negotiations planned and no urgency to act given growing confidence in summer signing Milos Kerkez.

Frankfurt sporting director Markus Krösche has slapped an ambitious €60 million (£52 million) valuation on the defender, a figure that reflects both the player’s rapid development and the club’s determination to fend off suitors. Real Madrid have already placed Brown on their shortlist, while Barcelona and Manchester United are also monitoring developments.

Liverpool’s recruitment team, buoyed by Kerkez’s recent upturn in form, continue to canvas Europe for long-term reinforcements, but any move for Brown would likely spark a summer bidding war should Eintracht decide to cash in.