Manchester United continue to be linked with a move for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike.
The search for a new striker this summer has been complicated. Firstly, Manchester United missed out on Liam Delap as he made a £30 million move to Chelsea.
News that Viktor Gyokeres prefers a move to Arsenal then put another dent in United’s striker plans, and the latest target on Ineos’ radar is Hugo Ekitike.
Initial reports suggested Frankfurt are demanding £85m for Ekitike but it seems United could get the 22-year-old forward for cheaper.
Hugo Ekitike of Eintracht Frankfurt celebrates scoring his team's third goal with teammate Fares Chaibi during the Bundesliga match between Eintracht Frankfurt and 1. FC Heidenheim
Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images
How Hugo Ekitike’s style of play fits at Man United
United fans grew very frustrated watching Rasmus Hojlund in 2024/25, and it became blindingly clear that a different type of striker is needed for Ruben Amorim’s system.
A report from The Athletic explores Ekitike’s style of play at Frankfurt, outlining his strengths and weaknesses last season.
It is pointed out that Ekitike’s profile is suited to “exploiting the space on the transition”. His pace and power make him a huge threat on the counter-attack.
To strengthen that point, Frankfurt were statistically the most threatening side across Europe from fast counter-attacks last season, just ahead of Liverpool.
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Ekitike would be United’s fastest player if he joined this summer having clocked an impressive speed of 35.5km/h last season.
In possession, Ekitike loves to drive forward and carry the ball into the final third and the opposition box. One stat shows that only Kylian Mbappe completed more dribbles of 10 or more yards that led to a team shot in 2024-25.
Ekitike tends to drift into the channels before picking up the ball and driving at the opponent’s goal. While this was effective for him in Germany, it might prove more difficult in the Premier League.
Hugo Ekitike clashes with Ruben Amorim’s plan at Man Utd
While Ekitike is undeniably an exciting talent, the curse of Frankfurt strikers is just one of several reasons why the move is a risk.
Ekitike’s poor finishing will concern United after he was statistically the biggest underperformer of expected goals (xG) in the Bundesliga.
Amorim wants to control matches at United and dominate possession, rather than relying on quick counter-attacks like the Red Devils have under previous matches.
READ MORE: The £16m Hugo Ekitike lesson Manchester United should try to replicate, it’s the Ineos blueprint
Therefore, signing Ekitike – a striker who thrives on fast breaks – could prove problematic when United come up against a low-block defence.
Hojlund is another player who prefers space to run into, and he evidently struggled in Amorim’s system last season. Ekitike’s similar profile suggests he could encounter the same issues.