Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Arsenal are reportedly admirers of Hugo Ekitike and could make a move for the Frenchman this summer.
Ekitike has been in sensational form for Eintracht Frankfurt this season, scoring 19 goals in just 38 games in all competitions for the German outfit. With a further eight assists to his name, the young Frenchman has been able to finally realise his potential after a disappointing spell at PSG.
Whilst his club have no intention of selling him this summer, reports of interest from around the continent have begun to grow with Fabrizio Romano revealing the striker is ‘expected to leave’ Frankfurt this summer. Romano posted on X: ‘Hugo Ekitike, expected to leave Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer after the excellent season he’s having. Premier League clubs already started calling for the French striker ahead of the summer transfer window.’
Arsenal’s Hugo Ekitike transfer ‘interest’
According to the Sun, one of those Premier League clubs that have shown interest in Ekitike is Arsenal. With Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz sidelined through injury, the Gunners do not currently have a recognised striker fit and available to Mikel Arteta and have been forced to deploy former Newcastle United midfielder Mikel Merino as a makeshift striker in recent weeks.
Fresh from hitting a hat-trick against Lee Carsley’s England Under-21 side during the most recent international break, Ekitike is reportedly among the strikers that Arsenal will consider as an ‘alternative’ to Alexander Isak this summer. The Gunners have been linked with a move for the Swedish international, but Newcastle’s reluctance to see their talisman depart and demands of a fee well in excess of £100m is set to put off any interest from the Emirates Stadium in the striker.
How Hugo Ekitike’s Newcastle United rejection paved way for Alexander Isak transfer
Arsenal reportedly listing Ekitike as a potential alternative to Isak is yet another reminder of just how much the football landscape can change in such a short amount of time. Back in 2022, Newcastle United were twice rejected by Ekitike as they looked for options to strengthen their forward line.
Their first rejection came in January 2022 where the then 19-year-old opted to stay in France and develop his skills at Stade Reims. Ekitike had impressed greatly for the Ligue 1 side in the first-half of that season, with a move to England a fairly risky option for him at the time.
When the 2021/22 season had concluded, the Magpies reignited their interest in the striker as they looked to build on surviving relegation under Eddie Howe. Again, they were able to come to an agreement with Stade Reims, but Ekitike had instead had his head turned by PSG and opted instead to move to the French capital to play alongside Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar at the Parc des Princes.
Newcastle United, fresh from a second rejection, then moved to sign Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak, paying a club-record £63m for him. It’s likely that had Ekitike decided to move to St James’ Park, either in January or in the early weeks of the 2022 summer window, that the Magpies would never have moved for Isak - allowing someone like Arsenal to swoop for his signature.
Your next Newcastle United read: Premier League to implement tech that disallowed Newcastle United winner