One striker that [**West Ham**](https://www.claretandhugh.info/ekitike-receptive-to-irons-move/) were linked with as far back as 2022 — and who was once available for a bargain price — is Hugo Ekitike. Now at Eintracht Frankfurt, the Frenchman carries a reported €80m price tag and has attracted interest from Arsenal, Newcastle United, Liverpool, and Manchester United.
Reports suggest West Ham are still monitoring the situation, but the hefty asking price and fierce competition for his signature make a move highly unlikely.
Jacob Steinberg of _The Guardian_ reported in August 2023 that West Ham had opened talks with PSG over the striker’s availability. Ekitike had also been a target back in 2022, when he was still at Reims.
The French U21 international was later frozen out of the PSG squad and made available for loan in January 2024. He joined Frankfurt on a loan-to-buy deal for just €16.5m — a fraction of his current valuation.
Having impressed with four goals in fourteen appearances, Ekitike signed permanently and has since enjoyed excellent form, registering 19 goals and eight assists in all competitions. His current contract runs until 2029.
Frankfurt winger Mario Götze has praised his teammate, saying: _“He has dribbling skills, finishing, and speed. He’s an added value to the team.”_
Over the years, the German club has proven to be shrewd in the [transfer](https://www.claretandhugh.info/west-ham-transfer-news/) market, securing huge fees for their attacking players: Randal Kolo Muani (€95m), Sebastian Haller (€50m), Luka Jovic (€60m), André Silva (€20m), and most recently Omar Marmoush (€70m).
This stands in stark contrast to West Ham’s long-standing struggles in the striker department — though Haller, ironically, was one of the few to make the move to East London, and Silva was linked to a loan move back in January.
Ekitike recently revealed in an interview that he supported Manchester United as a child — prompting speculation that United boss Rúben Amorim may feel the Red Devils have the upper hand in the race for his signature.