Eintracht Frankfurt's Ambitious Approach to Player Development
"Strikers are always more shiny," remarked Eintracht Frankfurt sporting director Timmo Hardung with a smile. He acknowledges that the nearly £300 million profit generated by the Bundesliga club from selling forwards over the past six years is what often captures the headlines.
Hardung stated, "It's the toughest part of our sport to score a goal, so obviously they draw a lot of attention. But I think we have managed to improve and develop a lot of players."
Indeed, Hardung is correct that Frankfurt has nurtured talent beyond just strikers. A notable example is Ecuadorian international Willian Pacho, who was signed from Royal Antwerp for just under £12 million in July 2023 and left a year later for Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth nearly £35 million.
However, it is often the forwards who dominate discussions, and for good reason. Since Luka Jovic's transfer to Real Madrid and Sebastien Haller's move to West Ham in the summer of 2019, Frankfurt has seen several forwards, including Andre Silva (RB Leipzig), Randal Kolo Muani (PSG), Omar Marmoush (Manchester City), and Hugo Ekitike (Liverpool), depart for significant profits.
Hardung commented, "I wouldn't say we do anything more specific with them than with any other position. But we try to play offensive football, create a lot of chances, and I think we are a good club for strikers to score goals."
This was certainly true for 23-year-old Ekitike, who is set to return to Deutsche Bank Park with Liverpool for a Champions League match on Wednesday. Ekitike initially joined Frankfurt on loan for the second half of the 2023-24 season after struggling for playing time at PSG, where he had moved from Reims 18 months earlier. His loan was quickly made permanent, and he finished the Bundesliga season with 15 goals and eight assists, ranking fourth in goal involvements among players aged 23 or under in Europe's top five leagues.
Hardung noted, "We saw his potential and strengths, and felt he would fit well with the style of football we want to play. He was a young player who had a tough time at PSG, but we saw an opportunity and made the deal work."
In his full season at Frankfurt, Ekitike played more than double the minutes he had in any other campaign, resulting in a higher goal tally, despite underperforming his expected goals (xG) by 6.6 goals and maintaining a shot conversion rate of 12.8%.
However, his overall performance was impressive, as he created the most chances from open play, had the highest number of shots, and scored more goals from fast breaks than any other forward in the Bundesliga, while ranking fifth in the league for most dribbles.
Hardung added, "It was a lot of work from us, but also from him. He had to put in the hard work and training, and he was receptive to tough feedback. We strive to be honest with our players, as that's the only way to help them progress."
To support young talents like Ekitike, Frankfurt has invested in a comprehensive support system, including video analysts, performance coaches, psychologists, and nutritionists who work closely with players.
Hardung explained, "The further you reach towards your ceiling, the more you need to focus on incremental improvements. When Ekitike first arrived, we needed to bring him up to speed with the physical demands of Bundesliga football."
He continued, "We have a high-intensity league with a lot of runs and sprints, so players must be prepared to manage their energy levels throughout the game, especially if they want to score in the late stages."
Additionally, the coaching staff focused on refining Ekitike's scoring opportunities by analyzing his positioning and identifying optimal shooting scenarios.
Ekitike's departure occurred just six months after Omar Marmoush left for Manchester City for £59 million, having joined Frankfurt for free a season and a half earlier. This summer, the top eight most expensive departures from the Bundesliga headed to the Premier League included Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool, Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig to Manchester United, and Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart to Newcastle.
Hardung understands why English clubs are targeting players in the German league, stating, "We have a very intensive league, and players who perform well here can have a significant impact in the Premier League."
However, he emphasized that Frankfurt's primary goal is not to operate as a selling club. "We want to be successful. We're a big, traditional club with ambitious goals. Our focus is on building a competitive football team, developing players, and improving them, as we cannot match the spending power of other clubs."
The effectiveness of this approach is evident, as Frankfurt won the Europa League in 2022 and has steadily improved its league performance, finishing third in the Bundesliga last season—a joint club record—with the youngest average team in the division.
While selling star players is not the objective, Frankfurt remains prepared, with recruitment efforts starting early. "The day after the transfer window closes, we begin preparing for the next one, considering potential changes and how we will respond," Hardung said. For younger players, the club even plans pathways that span several transfer windows, facilitating their progression from youth to first-team football.