Eintracht Frankfurt striker, Hugo Ekitike, has drawn interest from a number of big clubs in Europe at the moment.
Ekitike joined Eintracht Frankfurt on loan from Paris Saint-Germain a few of seasons back. He won two Ligue 1 titles with PSG, but did not have much contribution as a player in those title triumphs.
Ekitike, however, has seen his graph grow significantly as a player since joining Frankfurt, and now, both Liverpool and Arsenal reportedly want to sign him before the start of next season.
It will be quite interesting to see if the French Under-21 international decide to come to the Premier League.
Liverpool: Hugo Ekitike Frontrunners
Liverpool are slightly ahead of Arsenal at the moment to get Ekitike’s signature. The Reds are likely to let Darwin Nunez leave and Diogo Jota’s unfortunate demise in an accident means that they will need to sign a centre-forward for next season.
With the chances of signing Alexander Isak from Newcastle United being very slim, Liverpool are now trying to secure Ekitike’s services.
Ekitike scored 22 goals in 48 matches for Eintracht Frankfurt last season and registered 12 assists as well. He played a big role in his club finishing in third position in the Bundesliga table last season.
He was chosen as one of the players in Bundesliga’s Team of the Season in 2024/25. In fact, only Erling Haaland and Isak are among the Premier League strikers who scored more goals than Ekitike last season.
This has made even Arsenal take notice and make a move on the 23-year-old. The Gunners have been missing a proper No. 9 for quite some time now and have made a couple of signings in the midfield so far.
However, if they do not sign a proper striker, the chances of their remaining trophy-less for yet another season will increase.
Arsenal have not yet been able to complete the signing of Viktor Gyokeres, and hence, Ekitike provides them with another option up front.
However, they face the formidable challenge posed by Liverpool in securing the services of the French striker.
Ekitike is a big man, standing tall at six feet three inches, and provides a great aerial threat to the team he plays against.
He can be trusted to score goals with headers and is a typical big striker who thrives while playing for teams adept at playing crosses into the opposition penalty box.
How Costly Will Ekitike Be?
According to reports, Ekitike should attract a transfer fee between £80 and £100 million. That is still less than what Liverpool would have had to pay someone like Isak or what Arsenal will have to do for Gyokeres.
In fact, if Ekitike is able to continue his goal-scoring form next season, anything less than £100 million as a transfer fee for him will be considered reasonable.
However, as Frankfurt will play in the UEFA Champions League football next season, even staying at his current club will enable the Frenchman to feature in the top club competition in Europe.
Still, it is very likely that he shifts allegiance to a bigger club next season.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Jan Huebner
Recording Date: 17.05.2025