Liverpool have announced the signing of the Nigerian forward Taiwo Awoniyi, who will immediately head out on loan with FSV Frankfurt. The 18-year-old, who joins the club having previously represented Imperial Academy in Nigeria, is to spend the rest of the season on loan with the second division German side.

Liverpool are understood to have paid around £400,000 for Awoniyi’s services. He told his new club’s website: “This is the biggest club in the world and I’m privileged to be here. I’ll try to develop myself very well so that when I come back to Liverpool I’ll be able to add value to the team. When I’m in the red shirt, I will always give my very best to make the fans happy.”

Awoniyi is a Nigeria Under-23 international. He has also played for the Super Eagles at the Under-17 and Under‑20 World Cups and earned a call-up for the senior Nigeria squad in 2013.

It has also been announced that the striker Samed Yesil and the teenage midfielder Sergi Canos have gone out on loan, joining the Swiss side Luzern and Brentford respectively.

Yesil’s deal is also a season-long loan switch. The 21-year-old German signed for Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2012 and went on to make two first-team appearances for the Merseysiders in his first campaign with them, his only ones to date.

Canos has agreed a deal that will see him work with the Championship side until 3 January. The 18-year-old Spaniard, yet to make a senior appearance for Liverpool, joined the Reds in the summer of 2013 from Barcelona. He is a product of the Catalan giants’ famed La Masia academy.