Frankfurt's Egyptian forward #07 Omar Marmoush (L), Frankfurt's French forward #11 Hugo Ekitike (C) and Frankfurt's German forward #36 Ansgar Knauff (R) celebrate with the fans after winning the German first division Bundesliga football match VfB Stuttgart vs Eintracht Frankfurt. (Photo by THOMAS KIENZLE/AFP via Getty Images)Frankfurt's Egyptian forward #07 Omar Marmoush (L), Frankfurt's French forward #11 Hugo Ekitike (C) and Frankfurt's German forward #36 Ansgar Knauff (R) celebrate with the fans after winning the German first division Bundesliga football match VfB Stuttgart vs Eintracht Frankfurt. (Photo by THOMAS KIENZLE/AFP via Getty Images)
Frankfurt's Egyptian forward #07 Omar Marmoush (L), Frankfurt's French forward #11 Hugo Ekitike (C) and Frankfurt's German forward #36 Ansgar Knauff (R) celebrate with the fans after winning the German first division Bundesliga football match VfB Stuttgart vs Eintracht Frankfurt. (Photo by THOMAS KIENZLE/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
Manchester United look set to sign a striker in the summer transfer window in order to add more goals to the team.
Manchester United are poised to make a big splash in the summer transfer window after what has been a poor season under Ruben Amorim in the Premier League.
The Red Devils come out of the international break 13th in the league table, 11 points off rivals Manchester City in fifth place, and looking ahead to next season for a much improved result.
Strikers Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have struggled this season for United, combining for just six goals in the Premier League, meaning that the Red Devils are likely to sign a striker in the summer.
Man United ‘racing’ Newcastle to sign Bundesliga striker
Seeing as United look set to sign a striker, the next step is figuring out which one they want to buy. They have been linked to the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Victor Osimhen and Jean-Philippe Mateta, but it looks as though they could choose someone else. According to Football Insider, Man United are ‘racing’ Newcastle, and several other top European clubs to sign Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, who has impressed in the German league this season.
The Frenchman has made 38 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring 19 goals and providing eight assists, and it is understood that his impressive season has caught the eye of several Premier League clubs.
United are reportedly keeping a close eye on the 22-year-old, who Frankfurt signed from Paris Saint-Germain in 2022 for a fee of £13.7 million. The German club are expected to demand a high transfer fee for him, due to the fact that they lost fellow forward Omar Marmoush in January - he joined Man City for a fee of £59m.
The report says that Frankfurt are planning to keep Ekitike at the club, however, they are braced for several offers in the summer due to the fact that the Frenchman is in-demand.
Man United plan to sign Ekitike involves selling Hojlund
If the Red Devils are to spend big on a centre-forward, they will likely have to make a big sale to fund it, due to their precarious position regarding Profit and Sustainability Rules.
The report says that Manchester United want to sell Rasmus Hojlund this summer for a fee of £50m in order to fund a move to Ekitike, however interested clubs are said to have been put off by the Red Devils’ hefty asking price. Hojlund has made 39 appearances for Man United this season in all competitions, scoring eight goals and providing eight assists. At the age of just 22, he still has plenty of potential, however, it seems that United are ready to cash in on him.
Napoli and Juventus have both been linked to Hojlund in recent weeks as a return to the Serie A looks most likely for a summer exit for the Danish international.
In other news, what happened to the 27 players who left Manchester United in the last summer transfer window?