Liverpool and Arsenal are believed to have been asked to be kept in the loop about Hugo Ekitike’s transfer situation this summer.
Both clubs, who have also been linked with Alexander Isak, are expected to enter the market for a new striker in the off-season: Darwin Nunez is likely to leave Liverpool after three underwhelming years at Anfield, while the Gunners also on the look-out for a prolific frontman after starting this season with Kai Havertz as an auxiliary center-forward.
Ekitike, 22, has scored 19 goals in 38 appearances for Eintracht Frankfurt this term and is apparently keen on a move to England ahead of the 2025-26 season. It is reported by TBR Football that Newcastle and Aston Villa are also interested, while scouts from Newcastle, Liverpool and Arsenal were in attendance to watch Ekitike as he scored a hat-trick for France’s Under-21s in a 5-3 win over England last week.
Frankfurt is said to be demanding just shy of $90 million for the striker, but it is claimed that the Bundesliga club is likely to listen to any offers which exceed $65 million.
Who is Hugo Ekitike?
Ekitike was born in in the French city of Reims and was eligible to pursue an international career with Cameroon due to his father’s nationality, but he is going down the route of representing France, which he has played for at Under-20 and Under-21 level.
The striker joined local club Cormontreuil FC as a youngster before being picked up by Reims in 2013, where he was on the books for a decade before he joined Paris Saint-Germain on a permanent transfer in 2023, having spent the previous season on loan with the Parc des Princes club.
Ekitike had scored just four goals in 32 appearances during his year on loan at PSG, but it was widely reported in France that the terms of the loan agreement included an obligation for PSG to sign him permanently in the summer of 2023, by which point the Ligue 1 giant had changed its manager, with Luis Enrique replacing Christoph Galtier.
(Image: 2023 Tim Clayton)
Enrique clearly didn’t fancy Ekitike, who made just one appearance under the Spaniard before being sent on loan to Frankfurt in February 2024 — a deal which was made permanent just two months later.
Ekitike’s dribbling is perhaps his biggest strength, while he is also rated for his hold-up play, his finishing and his ability to make key passes.
Concerns about his discipline were raised earlier on in his career after he was sent off twice during the 2021-22 season while playing for Reims, one of which he received for violent conduct, but those remain the only two red cards of his career, and he has only been booked 10 times across 141 appearances for all of the clubs he has played for.
