The Smartest-Run Club in Germany Isn't Who You Think

As Hugo Ekitike flies into England to finalise his move to Premier League champions Liverpool, the €80 million price tag for the France U21 striker represents yet another tremendous piece of business by Eintracht Frankfurt.

The club, which openly acknowledges its position as "middle-man" in the footballing food chain, continues to unearth gems and sell them for handsome profits, year after year.

We examine how it's possible to continue finding bargains in such a saturated market, and who within Frankfurt's ranks could be the next to make a significant move.

Buying Low and Selling High

In terms of record departures, the €80 million fee for Ekitike is eclipsed only by Randal Kolo Muani's €95 million move to PSG in 2024.

When factoring in the sales of Omar Marmoush, Luka Jović, Sébastien Haller and Willian Pacho, Frankfurt has pocketed €403 million for just six players.

Eintracht Frankfurt's record departures prior to Hugo Ekitike's move to Liverpool via TransferMarkt

What makes this feat even more incredible is that those six players, combined, cost the German side just €64 million.

It prompts the question. How does a club whose transfer policy is to sell its best assets continually, remain competitive consistently in the Bundesliga and Europe?

In five of the last seven seasons, Frankfurt have qualified for European competition, including last season, when they finished third and secured a spot in the Champions League.

Now that their two leading marksmen in Ekitike and Marmoush have been lured to the Premier League, it ordinarily would be time to panic as a football fan. But not for Frankfurt. This is all a part of the plan.

Behind The Scenes

Frankfurt's background operation is the envy of clubs across Germany and beyond. Headed by sporting director Markus Krösche and a network of elite scouts, Frankfurt orchestrates its business based on a data-driven model, similar to that of Brighton.

This allows them to identify players who are tailor-made for their system, with low market values, who Europe's elite may not have yet earmarked.

Krösche is known for his proactive approach when it comes to highlighting and signing players. During a 2024 interview, he explained how clubs like Frankfurt have to find any slight advantage over the more established teams.

"We have to be better than the rest because we cannot afford mistakes. We have to be faster and more efficient. So, by October, we have a clear idea of who we want to sign next summer. This is a big advantage because other clubs are not in the market at that time."

The process is theoretically simple, as illustrated by Willian Pacho. Before joining Frankfurt, Pacho had played in Ecuador and Belgium. Typically, Europe's biggest sides wouldn't take this kind of risk. However, Frankfurt, using data and statistics, could determine that he possessed all the necessary attributes for their system, and that his actual market value had yet to be realised.

After one season in the Bundesliga, Pacho had the platform to impress, and all of a sudden, he was at the top of PSG's wish list, costing quadruple what was paid just 12 months prior.

🔴🔵🇪🇨 Official, confirmed. Willian Pacho signs in as new Paris Saint-Germain player until June 2029.

€40m deal plus €5m add-ons to Eintracht Frankfurt. pic.twitter.com/F3v0v5mtrL

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 9, 2024

The comparison to Brighton is clear, with the Seagulls developing a reputation for identifying talent and moulding them into superstars, notably Moises Caicedo and Alexis MacAllister and at the same time, cementing themselves as an established Premier League side.

This methodology does have drawbacks, however, as history shows with the likes of Schalke, Malaga and Southampton. The pursuit of finding replacements is unforgiving, and data is not always faultless. It takes only a below-par season or two, and Frankfurt can no longer offer European football and the opportunity for up-and-coming players to put themselves in the shop window. However, recent history shows that they are currently in the hands of very shrewd operators.

Assessing Frankfurt's Squad

As expected, Frankfurt have wasted no time in lining up an Ekitike replacement. It seems that 21-year-old Croatian striker Franjo Ivanovic who scored 24 times last season for Belgian Pro League champions Union Saint-Gilloise.

Franjo Ivanović is a hot name on the transfer market. Bayern, Eintracht, Benfica, Villarreal, Lille, and Como have all shown interest.

Como's €20M bid was rejected. Eintracht will move for him if Ekitike leaves. Bayern are watching closely. [Sportske Novosti] #Ivanović #USG… pic.twitter.com/M5zo8zYRlp

— Croatian Football (@CroatiaFooty) July 16, 2025

When discussing players who seem destined to leave Frankfurt for an elite side, one name is constantly mentioned: Hugo Larsson.

Signed from Malmö in 2023, Larsson is a tall, rangy midfielder who has impressed hugely during his two seasons at Frankfurt. Despite just turning 21, he has already made 84 appearances for the German outfit and is reportedly admired by Real Madrid, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham.

18-year-old Hugo Larsson got a hero's sendoff from the Malmö ultras ahead of his move to Eintracht Frankfurtpic.twitter.com/KC8yiFhEao

— COPA90 (@Copa90) June 7, 2023

The Eagles have placed a €60 million pricetag on the youngster, which would again represent a tremendous return on the original €9 million investment.

Nathaniel Brown (22) and Can Özun (19) were snapped up by Frankfurt from Nuremberg last summer for a combined €14 million. Reports coming out of the club suggest that there are plenty of reasons to be excited by the pair.