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By Barnaby Lane
Posted on 30 June 2025, 19:00
Arsenal join race for 23-year-old who is "mix between Neymar and Mbappe" - Arsenal
Hugo Ekitike. (Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)
For all of Arsenal’s recent progress under Mikel Arteta — from winning the Community Shield to finishing as Premier League runners-up three years running — one issue remains painfully unresolved: the lack of a true, clinical No. 9.
The Gunners have built one of the most exciting squads in Europe, with a midfield duo of Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard that rivals anyone. Their wide forwards, meanwhile, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, are young, electric, and consistently productive.
But in the heart of attack, Arsenal continue to rotate between makeshift solutions: Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, and even Leandro Trossard.
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While all three offer quality and flexibility, none are out-and-out strikers who can guarantee 25+ goals a season — the kind of profile Arsenal fans have been crying out for since the days of Robin van Persie.
Despite this glaring hole, Arsenal’s transfer activity in the No. 9 department has been oddly quiet. Links to names like Viktor Gyökeres, Benjamin Sesko, and Alexander Isak have come and gone without movement. But now, it seems the tide might finally be turning.
Arsenal Join Race for Hugo Ekitike
Hugo Ekitike. (REUTERS/Heiko Becker)
Hugo Ekitike. (REUTERS/Heiko Becker)
According to a new report from German outlet BILD, the Gunners have joined a growing list of clubs keeping tabs on Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike.
The 23-year-old French forward, who joined Frankfurt from PSG last year, enjoyed a breakout 2024/25 campaign. He scored 22 goals and provided 12 assists in all competitions, quickly becoming one of the Bundesliga’s most exciting attacking threats.
Ekitike’s performances even caught the attention of former Inter Milan and Netherlands star Wesley Sneijder, who had high praise earlier this year.
“I might say something really crazy, but I’ll say it anyway: I think he’s a mix between Neymar and [Kylian] Mbappé. I sincerely think so,” Sneijder said. “He has the grace of Neymar, but also the movements of Mbappé. To suddenly accelerate — that’s something Mbappé also has. And he’s only 22 years old. There’s really a lot of potential in this boy.”
While Arsenal’s interest isn’t yet concrete, BILD reports that the club are seriously considering Ekitike as a more attainable alternative to Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyökeres, whose future remains uncertain amid strong interest from Manchester United.
Should Arsenal act quickly, Ekitike could be a statement signing — young, dynamic, technically gifted, and with a proven eye for goal. In many ways, he could be the missing piece of Arsenal’s title puzzle
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