Arsenal might finally sort out their centre-forward issues in the summer now that they have a new sporting director in place, with a striker likened to club legend Thierry Henry a potential incoming.
Henry, who ranked at no.1 in FourFourTwo’s list of the greatest Premier League players of all time, spent eight incredible seasons at Arsenal at the turn of the millennium, and this season has seen the club pining after a prolific goalscorer to challenge for the title.
Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus failed to find the net regularly before their injuries, and now fans are hoping the new sporting director will quickly address the issue.
Arsenal sporting director could land ‘new Thierry Henry’
Arsenal announced on Sunday that Andrea Berta had joined as the club’s new sporting director, with the former Parma, Genoa and Atletico Madrid technical official tasked with squad planning and player recruitment.
Signing a new striker has become of paramount importance to Arsenal in recent months, and will likely sit high on Berta’s priority list. But while names such as Alexander Isak and Victor Gyokeres have been linked with the Gunners, there’s a young forward who has drawn comparisons with Thierry Henry that could instead rock up at the Emirates this summer.
According to Sky Germany, Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike is 99 per cent certain to leave the Bundesliga side this summer following his impressive time at the club, as they look to cash in on a huge profit.
After permanently signing the Frenchman from PSG in April 2024 for €16.5m, after a successful initial loan spell, Ekitike has struck 19 times in 39 appearances in all competitions this term and is capturing the interest of clubs from across Europe.
And Arsenal have reportedly emerged as a frontrunner in the race for the 22-year-old’s signature, with Manchester United and Liverpool also interested.
Ekitike won’t come cheap, however, with Eintracht Frankfurt demanding €80m for the striker. They’re in no rush to sell considering his contract still has another four years left on it, while making such a huge profit is certainly in keeping with their recent business model – both Omar Marmoush and Randal Kolo Muani have departed for large transfer fees after impressive performances.
In FourFourTwo‘s view, €80m is a lot of money for a young striker who struggled at PSG, though that’s not to say he is a complete failure. There’s a real dearth of No.9s in Europe at the moment, so if Arsenal have spotted a quality that makes Ekitike more attractive an option, they should certainly consider taking the gamble.
Ekitike is valued at €55m by Transfermarkt.
