Manchester United have emerged as suitors for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, the latest reports have claimed.
The Red Devils look set to undergo a transformation in attack, with Matheus Cunha already signed, and Bryan Mbeumo a target for boss Ruben Amorim.
Chelsea number nine Liam Delap was thought to be of interest to the United manager, but the Blues were able to win the race for the former Ipswich Town man.
The club have also been strongly linked with a move for Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres, though it remains to be seen if they can beat Arsenal to the Swede’s signtature.
Sky Sports claim that United have joined the race for Eintracht Frankfurt’s Ekitike, who is said to be a target of Liverpool and Chelsea, though his profile differs from Gyokeres.
Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike pictured on May 4, 2025
Ekitike vs. Gyokeres
While both Ekitike and Gyokeres would both improve Amorim’s squad, the two are different stylistically, with the former better at linking play and the latter better inside the box.
Gyokeres scored 45 goals and provided eight assists in 41 matches for Sporting Lisbon, whereas Ekitike netted 22 times and registered 12 assists in 48 games in Germany.
The Eintracht Frankfurt forward is adept at dropping away from central zones in order to help his side progress play, but he can be outmatched physically.
As for the Sporting striker, his ability to influence play can at times be limited when facing a settled defensive unit, but there is no doubting his ability in the box.
Hugo Ekitike of Eintracht Frankfurt during his side's match against Tottenham Hotspur, on April 10, 2025
Would Ekitike be a mistake?
Ekitike’s price tag is expected to be in the region of £85m, and his fee could prove prohibitively expense for the Red Devils.
After spending more than £60m on Cunha, and with Mbeumo likely to cost a similar amount, spending another large sum on one player could limit what the club would be able to do in other areas.
There is an argument that a midfielder should be signed given Casemiro has been frequently been criticised, while Manuel Ugarte has struggled to adapt.
United may also benefit from signing another defender considering Amorim’s 3-4-3 system utilises three centre-backs, and with Harry Maguire ageing and Leny Yoro still a teenager, the defence will need to be addressed sooner rather than later.
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