Manchester City are looking to provide Liverpool and Arsenal with competition for the thrilling signing of Hugo Ekitike, it has been claimed.
Liverpool are on the hunt for a new centre-forward as Arne Slot does not see Darwin Nunez as a reliable goalscorer at the top level. The Reds have been tipped to sell Nunez for a huge loss-making price to fund their next striker signing.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have needed an elite striker for some time. Their new sporting director, Andrea Berta, looks set to rectify the issue this summer as Mikel Arteta has been forced to operate without Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus in recent months.
Both Liverpool and Arsenal have identified Eintracht Frankfurt ace Ekitike as an ideal alternative to Alexander Isak, who will be too expensive to sign from Newcastle United in the summer.
Ekitike has moved on from his underwhelming spell with Paris Saint-Germain and is now one of the deadliest No 9s in Europe, having scored 22 goals in 46 matches for Frankfurt this term.
But Liverpool and Arsenal must watch out for Man City in the transfer pursuit, if the latest reports are to be believed.
German outlet Bild claim City’s new director of football Hugo Viana has burst into the race for Ekitike and has opened discussions with his agent to try and tee up a sensational move.
It is reported that Manchester United and Chelsea are also in the mix, though City and Arsenal are leading the charge as things stand.
Frankfurt feel they are in a very strong negotiating position as Ekitike is tied down until June 2029, while they are also expected to qualify for next season’s Champions League, currently sitting third in the Bundesliga.
These factors, coupled with the amount of clubs chasing the Frenchman, mean it could take as much as €100million (£85m / $113m) to prise him away from Frankfurt.
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While City likely will have been impressed by Ekitike’s lethal performances this season, it would be a surprise if such a move went ahead.
Erling Haaland is their first-choice striker and will be for years to come, while City spent €75m in January to sign Marmoush from Frankfurt, making him their replacement for Julian Alvarez.
Ekitike would know that by joining City he would likely be signing up for less game time.
Sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk that Ekitike is on Liverpool’s radar as they aim to take some of the goalscoring burden off Mohamed Salah’s shoulders.
The Reds have sent scouts to watch him in action on several occasions this campaign.
Liverpool are looking to make a splash in the summer market – to build on their title-winning season – and Ekitike could be signed as part of a huge £175m triple deal.
City handed setback; Liverpool star wanted
Meanwhile, City are finding it tough to replace Kevin De Bruyne with a truly elite No 10.
After giving up on two top targets, they are now looking at Morgan Gibbs-White of Nottingham Forest instead.
Elsewhere, Forest have joined Newcastle United in the race for a Liverpool star.
FSG have set his price tag at around €35m (£29.7m / $39.4m) as they are already planning a replacement signing.
TIMELINE: The rise of Hugo Ekitike
July 12, 2020: Signs his first professional contract with Reims after developing in the academy and playing for the B team.
October 17, 2020: Makes his first-team debut for Reims in a Ligue 1 loss to Lorient.
January 29, 2021: Moves on loan for the rest of the season to Vejle Boldklub in the Danish Superliga, where he goes on to score three goals in 11 games.
September 12, 2021: Scores his first senior goal for Reims in a win over Rennes.
January 31, 2022: Turns down a move to Newcastle United despite Reims accepting a bid by the Premier League side.
May 21, 2022: Closes out the season by scoring his 10th goal of the campaign for Reims.
July 16, 2022: Joins Paris Saint-Germain on a season-long loan with an obligation to buy, after a total of 11 goals in 26 games for Reims.
August 6, 2022: Comes on against Clermont to make his PSG debut.
October 1, 2022: Makes his first start for PSG in a win over Nice.
October 11, 2022: Plays in the Champions League for the first time, appearing as a substitute against Benfica.
November 13, 2022: Scores his first goal for PSG against Auxerre.
May 27, 2023: Becomes a Ligue 1 champion with PSG.
February 1, 2024: Moves to Eintracht Frankfurt on loan with an option to buy, after only playing once for PSG in the first half of the season.
February 3, 2024: Makes his Eintracht debut as a substitute against FC Koln.
April 19, 2024: Scores his first goal for Eintracht in a win against Augsburg, starting a run of three consecutive Bundesliga apps with a goal.
April 26, 2024: Makes his move to Frankfurt permanent, thus ending his PSG career for good with just four goals from 33 games behind him.
August 19, 2024: Marks his first appearance of the new season with a brace in the cup against Eintracht Braunschweig.
September 26, 2024: Scores his first European goal in a Europa League win over Viktoria Plzen, also providing an assist and matching his goal tally already from the previous season.
December 1, 2024: Reaches double figures of goals for the season within 18 games.
January 26, 2025: Extends his scoring streak to four games in a row with a brace against Hoffenheim.
March 21, 2025: Scores a hat-trick against England’s U21s for France U21.
April 10, 2025: Reaches the tally of 20 goals in all competitions for the 2024-25 season by scoring against Spurs.