Contact made: Liverpool in the mix to sign Ekitike’s former teammate who ‘brings a lot of energy’
Liverpool have reportedly made contact regarding the possibility of a transfer swoop for a former teammate of Hugo Ekitike.
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There could be a substantial changing of the guard in defence for the Reds over the next few months, with Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson both nearing the end of their contracts and reports of an apparent willingness from FSG to consider potential offers for Joe Gomez.
The 28-year-old has become hugely valuable to LFC for his ability to adapt comfortably to any position across the back four, and if he were to depart in the summer, another highly versatile defender has seemingly been lined up as a prime candidate to replace him.
Liverpool have ‘made checks’ on Nnamdi Collins
According to Graeme Bailey for TEAMtalk, Liverpool are among several Premier League clubs to have ‘made checks’ on Nnamdi Collins of Eintracht Frankfurt, where he had Ekitike as one of his teammates last season.
The ‘physical profile, recovery pace and versatility’ of the Germany international has made him an ‘increasingly attractive option’ for prospective suitors, although the Bundesliga side are in a strong negotiation position as the 22-year-old’s contract runs to 2030.
It’d therefore require a ‘significant offer’ for the hierarchy at Deutsche Bank Park to consider cashing in on the defender.
Collins could be Gomez 2.0 for Liverpool if they sign him
Collins carries strong echoes of Gomez with his ability to slot in at centre-back or right-back as necessary, with a 2:1 ratio of those positions so far this season (Transfermarkt), and that versatility is an immediate green flag.
His former Eintracht boss Dino Toppmoller has previously hailed him as ‘a little machine’ who ‘brings a lot of energy onto the pitch’ with his all-action playing style (bulinews.com), and bringing those qualities to Liverpool would make him an instant fans’ favourite at Anfield.
On the whole, his underlying performance figures in comparison to other Bundesliga defenders this season aren’t particularly outstanding, although he does rank highly for some metrics (as data from Fotmob illustrates).
| 2025/26 Bundesliga | Per 90 minutes | Percentile among positional peers |
| Tackles | 3.33 | 94th (top 6%) |
| Possession won in final third | 0.23 | 93rd |
| Successful dribbles | 0.54 | 92nd |
| Interceptions | 1.78 | 85th |
The Football Transfers website quotes Collins’ current market value at just €20m (£17.4m), but a versatile 22-year-old defender playing regularly for a top-half Bundesliga side and contracted for four more years would surely require a much higher fee to prise from his current club.
The scale of how extensive a rebuild Liverpool need defensively will be determined by which players depart in the summer. If there are multiple exits from the Reds’ backline, then the Eintracht utility man could become an increasingly attractive option to cover two positions and effectively eliminate the need for one transfer.
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